


Flying on Broken Wings

by KlainebowsAndDramioneflies



Series: Broken Wings [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bullying/Homophobia, Coming Out, High School, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-05-08
Packaged: 2018-03-25 06:28:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 55,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3800287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KlainebowsAndDramioneflies/pseuds/KlainebowsAndDramioneflies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Note: Blaine is the same age as Kurt, Finn, Puck, etc. in this fic.] Blaine Anderson didn't want to stay hidden away at Dalton Academy for his whole high school career. He decided to take life back into his own control, and the first step is enrolling in public school again. The incident from his Freshman year still haunts him, though, and so he hides who he is, but one boy could change everything. One boy might give Blaine the courage to soar.</p><p>PG-13/R (for violence, swearing, and teenage behavior) through Chapter 9, starts being M at Chapter 10.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a trilogy. This first part is already completely posted on S&C, but I will be updating it here daily until it's completely up so I don't spam everybody with the whole thing at once. The sequel, 'Bandaged Wings Fly Higher' will be posted as soon as this one is completely up, then I should be caught up to the same updating schedule for the final piece of the trilogy here and on S&C.
> 
> So, be patient with me please. I know it's a little confusing, but basically 'Broken' will be complete over 17 days, then 'Bandaged' will be 18 days, then we'll be working on 'Healed'.

McKinley High looked both intimidating and like a walk in the park at the same time as Blaine Anderson strode up to the doors. He was pretty sure the first class of the day was going to start soon- he'd intended to leave early but been too focused on his appearance. Today there was no bow tie, no cuff at the hem of his pants… he wore his Nikes that were usually only worn to the gym, and his shirt was a muted grey and fit loose enough that it seemed utterly  _wrong_ , but that just meant he was doing this right. He was sure to seem completely normal- because that's what 'straight' was.  _Normal_.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Blaine stepped through those doors and into the halls of the first public school he'd step foot in since he'd been assaulted in his Freshman year. It had been close to two years now. He was still shaking, though. Adam's apple bobbing with his heavy swallow, the dark haired boy lifted his foot to take a step forward, only to jump about ten feet in the air because…

***SLAM***

The noise was so loud it completely shocked him. Blaine almost couldn't believe what he'd just seen, as a blur of black and white flew in front of him and smacked so hard into the nearest lockers that Blaine was pretty sure he felt the floor shake. He saw red and off white in front of him before he could focus enough to note that the colors made up a pair of letterman jackets worn like armor by two brutish looking jocks. His hazel eyes trailed over to the lockers to see a tall but slight form of a boy shooting a glare at the pair of jocks while biting his lip in obvious pain.

"Morning,  _Princess_ ," one of the meatheads joked in a tone that was more than just cruel. It was a tone that was meant to hurt. To maim. Just as much as the shove into the lockers had. "Not sure how you skipped out on your dumpster dive this morning, but you should really know better by now. Hope you're looking forward to a surprise slushie facial later, twink."

The other letterman-clad male took a threatening stomp toward the effeminate kid, making the boy twitch and then laughing as he turned away with his companion, leaving the kid slumped against the locker. Blaine shifted his bag on his shoulder, looking at the brunette with concern. Now that his eyes had lost their anger, the kid looked like he was in a good deal of pain and there was definitely some fear in those pretty blue eyes.

Ugh.  _Pretty_? Really? Did Blaine really already have to be thinking of another guy as  _pretty_? He was supposed to be passing at this school, dammit! The whole idea behind going to public school again was to successfully fit in and graduate and all that. If he was out here, he'd just end up in the damn hospital again. No. That wasn't going to happen. It  _couldn't_. But… he did really want to help the boy who seemed to be trying and failing to bend sideways and grab his bag from where it had fallen on the floor without further hurting his back and side.

"Hey, let me get that," Blaine said as he quickly strode up to the kid and grabbed the bag and the couple of things that had fallen out of it, righting them and holding out the bag. "Uh, are you okay?"

The other boy straightened up with a slight wince, reaching about four or five inches taller than Blaine given both his natural height and that added by his boots. He gave Blaine a look from head to toe and cocked his brow before reaching out to take his bag, tossing it onto his shoulder and almost managing to completely conceal the pain the flared in his eyes at the added weight. "As okay as I'll ever be in this personal Hell of mine. You're new. You should know you're tarnishing your reputation with every minute you spend speaking to me."

So, the kid was witty and he accepted the torture he'd just gone through as a normal day. That was… disconcerting. To say the least. "Right. Uh, yeah. I'm new here. I'm not so sure why you're so accepting of being shoved into lockers on a daily basis… And did those guys say something about a dumpster? And a…  _slushie facial_? What the hell does that even mean?" He didn't have to ask about the 'princess' or 'twink' comments. He was… pretty used to those.

"Slushie facials are the price of being in the glee club and flaunting it. Being tossed in the dumpster and shoved into lockers is the price of being the only out gay guy in this stupid place." The kid steeled himself and took a step away from the lockers and into the throng of the main hall then, Blaine falling into step beside him despite the promise that it would negatively affect his nonexistent reputation. "Unless you want to be assumed to be gay you might want to be less… nice. To me, I mean. Not that I don't appreciate it, but there's really no reason for your handsome face to get bruised. Or to be the victim of a swirly."

The shorter boy hesitated in his steps then, eyes gone a bit wide. They actually flushed this beautiful boy's  _head_  down a  _toilet_? Blaine was suddenly regretting this move back into public school. Now it was even more obvious to him that he had to hide his sexuality even more. He couldn't handle swirlies and dumpsters! He didn't want to abandon this boy who'd been nothing but nice to him so far, though, either. Blaine was a naturally kind, friendly person. It would be completely unlike him to stop talking to someone just because of a potential blow to his reputation.

Rather than abandon the boy, Blaine moved a little closer after tugging a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket and unfolding it. "I'm naturally nice, so I guess if 'nice' is equated with 'gay' around here, those jocks can assume whatever the hell they want," he commented with practiced ease even though inside his heart was racing and his mind was screaming at him about fucking everything up,  _again_. "I do have a question, though. Where is… this English class?" He pointed to the first class on his unfolded schedule with a slightly embarrassed grin.

* * *

 

It turned out the tall brunette had the same English class and Blaine was able to find out his name as soon as the two of them walked through the door and a tall guy in a letterman jacket smiled and waved him over. Apparently not all the jocks were dicks, then. Strange. "Where the hell have you been, Kurt? I thought you were right behind me when we left the house and then…  _poof_. Dude, tell me you weren't thrown in a dumpster again."

The boy Blaine now knew as 'Kurt' rolled his eyes and took a seat behind the jock and Blaine slid into the desk beside the victim of the morning bullying, observing the interaction. "Relax, Finn, I wasn't in a dumpster. I was at my locker and Azimio and Karofsky decided to say good morning. And then I ran into new kid here." He motioned to Blaine with his chin and he awkwardly waved at the clueless looking jock. "And I helped him navigate the terrifying halls of McKinley Hell."

"It's Blaine," he muttered, only to get odd looks tossed at him from both boys. "My name. It isn't 'new kid,' it's Blaine." The jock still looked confused, but he nodded at Blaine anyway before muttering something to Kurt which involved the words 'bro' and 'whatever' amongst other things. It seemed the two boys were brothers, then, based on the living in the same house and the 'bro' comment at least. Interesting. He was stopped from thinking on it anymore as their teacher strode into the room then and started in on a lack-luster lecture that Blaine tried taking notes on until a piece of folded paper made its way onto his notebook.

He looked up as he unfolded it, peering around until he saw Kurt looking at him with a cocked brow, arms crossed and notebook absolutely empty. Shooting the brunette a confused look, Blaine unfolded the note and read the neat writing he found inside.

_No point taking notes in most of your classes here, new kid. Everything the teachers say is reprinted in the book or the assignment sheet anyway, and the tests are carbon-copies of the books, too. Trust me. You can relax._

The content of the note had Blaine leaning back in his seat, trying to loosen up and relax, since apparently nobody had to work for anything in this school. Maybe the whole 'going back to public school' wasn't Blaine's best idea after all. Dalton had at least challenged him intellectually even if it hadn't challenged him at all socially. But then, he'd had the challenges to his mind. He had the grades to get into wherever he wanted for college and he'd already taken classes that would prepare him for such. The social challenges were what he actually needed to prepare him for real life, right?

Scrawling beneath the other boy's words, Blaine decided that if he didn't need to pay attention to the lecture he might as well have a bit of fun. Or try to set up some sort of social life. Not that he was apparently choosing the best option as far as a first potential friend went, at least according to that potential friend. Then again, he didn't seem that unpopular with the general masses. There had already been a couple more people making lunch dates with the openly gay guy when the teacher wasn't paying attention.

_Like I said, I have a name. It's Blaine. And I guess it's just the meat-head jocks that have a problem with you then? Doesn't seem like much to justify being rude to you from the start, Kurt._

He slid the note onto the other kid's desk  while the teacher was looking down at her book, a natural smirk crossing his face. A face the Kurt kid had called  _handsome_  if Blaine had heard him correctly. So far he'd thought of the other guy as 'pretty' and he'd been called 'handsome'. This was so not boding well for his whole 'in the closet' goal for this new school. Blaine was pulled from his negative thoughts by the return of the folded sheet of paper once more.

_The jocks of McKinley are a force to be reckoned with, trust me. Not many others stand up to them- for good reason. I won't tell you not to though. I mean, I am the queen of standing up to the meat-heads after all. ;)_

The snort at the title of 'queen' couldn't be held back, but Blaine tried to cover it with a cough even as the teacher looked up and glared. He chanced a glance at Kurt, only to see the kid grinning and rolling his eyes at him. Great. Now Blaine was flirting. With the only openly gay kid at the damn school. He clearly needed to refresh his brain with what 'playing it cool' and 'straight, dammit' meant.

Regardless of these thoughts, Blaine continued to have a paper conversation with the kid throughout the class period, and he was a little sad to hear the bell ring to dismiss them.

* * *

 

By the time lunch came, Blaine was confused about where all he'd been and a little more than just a little disappointed. He'd only had that one class with Kurt so far, and his Spanish class had been severely lacking. Who the hell let someone named  _Schuester_  teach Spanish anyway? He didn't even know the language! He'd managed to get lost on his way to pre-calc, which he had with all seniors and an Asian guy named Mike who was also a junior and seemed pretty nice in all honesty. At least he didn't make fun of Blaine when he made his way into the class five minutes late, panting, and explaining how he went down the wrong hallway and ended up on the opposite side of the school…

The lunch period had Blaine standing in the middle of the room with a try of questionable food and a questioning expression on his face. Where was he supposed to sit, exactly? High school was hard enough without the social pressure of the lunch room. He was about to give up and find some corner seat or something where he could just blend in when a familiar voice rang out.

"Blaine!"

He thought he had to be imagining things, because why would anyone call his name on his first day when he was standing there looking like the biggest loser in the world, but then the voice got closer and spoke again.

"Hey, c'mon. You can sit with me and the Glee kids if you want, Blaine. I mean, we aren't exactly popular, but it's better than standing around like a lost puppy, right?" The cheery grin Kurt offered as he practically dragged Blaine to the table with the others had him instantly calming a bit. This guy was… different. But in a very good way.

Once he got seated, Blaine noticed the faces around the table. There was that jock from English and the girls who had muttered to Kurt about lunch during the class as well. Oh, and there was Mike! So that was why the Asian had seemed nice. He was one of the group that Blaine instantly assumed was as accepting as this school got, since they all seemed to love Kurt.

The boy of Blaine's little daydreams perched beside him then, dressing a salad as he started introductions. "Blaine Anderson, these are my fellow outcasts," a couple of them growled at that and one Latina girl flipped Kurt off for the comment before he could continue. "The angry one is Santana, but you can call her Satan. It's much more fitting." He made a kissy face at the girl before moving along from her and introducing the others.

By the time the introductions were done, Blaine now knew that Kurt called many people things that did not involve their preferred names, which made his whole 'new kid' title make sense he supposed. There was Puck (who Kurt called Noah, though it seemed no one else had the balls to do so), Mercedes, Rachel (boy was  _she_  ever full of herself, but Blaine kind of admired her determination), Tina (whose last names were apparently too fun for Kurt to ever leave off), Artie, Brittany, Finn (the brother- now confirmed by Kurt), Mike (who he already knew of course) and Quinn (who seemed to be called Q a lot of the time for some reason). He was a little overwhelmed by all the people being interested in who he was and what his story was, but it was also kind of nice… Either way, though, Blaine was quick to get the focus off of himself.

"So, you guys sing and stuff?" he asked, acting completely oblivious. The Warblers had never faced McKinley while Blaine was singing lead there, so he wasn't worried about anybody figuring him out. One good way to screw his straight image would be to admit to being a star of a private boys' school show choir. His lips were sealed as far as his own talents went, and it was easy to just get absorbed in the stories of the New Directions instead of focusing on any of his own memories.

Rachel went on about how it was 'performing, not  _singing and stuff_ ' while the others just rolled their eyes and Kurt nudged Blaine, telling him to just go with it. They kept talking and Blaine couldn't help but smile and laugh along with them, especially when Mike stood up and did a spin and a break-dance of sorts in the middle of the cafeteria. Even the jeers from the table of letterman jackets couldn't drown the merriment of the Glee table. Blaine was… happy. Too bad he wasn't about to make the mistake of joining the club and getting his own spot next to Kurt on the 'ass kicking' list.

The end of lunch was much better than the beginning, as Blaine left the cafeteria with a grin on his face and striding between Tina and Mercedes, both of whom he shared his next class with.

* * *

 

On his way to his locker before chemistry, Blaine learned exactly what a 'slushie facial' was. He was just starting on his combination when he heard the voice from the morning- that meat-head jock again- jeering.  _"Hey Princess, didn't forget about this, did you?"_  And as he turned to look, Blaine saw Kurt get hit in the face with bright red ice. His heart sank.

The boy was shaking, whether it was from the cold or the humiliation, or the rage filling his blood, Blaine would never be quite sure, but Kurt was  _shaking_  and the jocks were laughing and it was just so… sad. Kurt had such an elaborate outfit, too, and now it was all covered in red dye number 6. The boy raised his hands and wiped the beverage from his eyes before letting the angry blue orbs fall on his tormentors. "How could I  _ever_  forget our dates, Karofsky? You are so obsessed with me after all. And to think, people talk about  _me_  being gay."

Someone who sounded suspiciously like Santana cackled in the background as Kurt turned on his heel and opened his locker quickly, grabbing a gym bag and switching out his books as the jocks trudged off, the Karofsky guy muttering loudly about how he wasn't even anything close to gay and the Hummel kid was out of his damn mind.

Blaine switched out his own books before slowly approaching Kurt, a frown on his pursed lips. "So… that's a slushie facial then?"

"Yeah. Welcome to a day in my life," the boy muttered, closing his locker and heading for the nearest restroom. Blaine noticed it was the girls' restroom, but followed anyway. "You don't have to follow me, you know. I'm used to dealing with this. Also, I'm well-liked among the women so I can get away with being in here. Not so sure how they'd take to a straight hunk of a new kid taking up residence in their bathroom sanctuary."

Blaine snorted, then stopped himself and just shook his head, lounging against the wall as he gathered some papertowels for Kurt. "I'll take the risk. I've been told I'm pretty charming, so I think I could get out of it mostly unscathed. It isn't like I've never been slapped across the face anyway." The confession was unintentional, but Blaine didn't divulge anymore about just why he was slapped or who had done the slapping. That would have been way more information than he intended anyone at this school to ever gain. Instead, he offered the papertowels and observed as the other boy took off his vest and frantically rinsed it, saving the fancier part of his red-soaked clothes.

Blue eyes found hazel when Kurt looked up, glancing sideways before looking back at his own reflection and trying to rid his face and hair of the ice and dye. "You're going to be late for class. I can't really help it myself, but you should go. I can finish up here without issue. Promise." The smile he shot at Blaine was easy and kind, but the emotions in those eyes were heavy and Blaine didn't like the deeper ones there. Still, what could he do for this guy he'd just met this morning? It wasn't like Blaine Anderson could change the damn world. No… the only thing he was good at when things got hard was running away.

"Alright. Didn't you say you had chem now though? I could let the teacher know you're on your way. It's the only other class we have together, I think." He blushed a bit at knowing Kurt's schedule. The truth was, he'd checked his classes against all of Glee club during lunch, and he'd made a point to remember exactly where Kurt fit into his day. That was… something to dwell on later, though.

With a nod of encouragement from Kurt, Blaine left the bathroom and made his way to the class, getting there seconds before the bell rang and explaining that Kurt was stuck dealing with a mess and would be right in. The teacher gave a little lecture when Kurt arrived ten minutes later in a red sweater and with slightly damp hair, but the boy clearly wasn't even listening. He sat beside Blaine and nodded at him with a soft half-smile. It was a simple gesture, but it stuck with Blaine even as he wrapped his hands and started laying into the bag in the McKinley gym…


	2. Chapter Two

A few days later, Blaine pulled into the student lot of McKinley with a renewed sense of confidence. He figured he knew what to expect. He'd gotten used to the lumbering jocks and their constant need to intimidate people, he'd even gotten used to Rachel Berry. The thing he hadn't gotten used to happened to be the thing which caught his immediate attention when he got out of his car, jaw dropping in horror.

Kurt Hummel was dangling from the hold of the two meat-heads who seemed to target him every day of his life, and they were holding him over… the dumpster. It was like slow motion as Blaine  _ran_  across the concrete toward the dumpster, hoping he could reach them in time but knowing he was already too late. Kurt closed his eyes and braced himself for the fall and the jocks forcefully threw him down into the trash.

With a high five and some joke about 'the fairy,' the jocks made their way to the school and Blaine shuffled up to the dumpster. He poked his head over the side and looked down at the sad sight that was Kurt. "Um… n-need a hand?" He felt a little dumb for offering something so simple and meaningless as a lift from the pile of trash, but what else did he have to give the boy? He'd never seen someone actually get tossed in a dumpster before, and it was kind of terrifying, really.

Blue eyes widened as they stared up at Blaine and his offered hand. Kurt looked… a little lost. "Blaine? What are you… thanks." He muttered as he took the offered hand and crawled out of the dumpster to stand before Blaine and tried to wipe off the scumminess that came from being in a damn dumpster.

"That's something I've never actually seen before. Kurt…" he looked at the boy before him and Blaine felt his heart break for the other kid. It was like watching himself two years ago- so hurt, so hated, so  _alone_. Seeing how much Kurt struggled was making it hard for Blaine to keep his act up, but he just… he couldn't go through it all again. Even if he wouldn't be alone. "Kurt, why don't you tell Finn about them? Why don't you let him get those guys to lay off?"

The blue eyes hardened as Kurt reacted to the words. "They're my problem, not his. I'm not weak or helpless or whatever the  _fuck_  else Azimio or Karofsky or  _you_  think. I don't need anybody else to fight my battles for me." And with that he turned on his heel and strutted to the school, not sparing another look for the stunned Blaine.

* * *

 

Classes that day went by slowly as, in both English and chemistry, Kurt completely ignored Blaine's existence. He noticed the other boy was relatively quiet with everyone else as well, and he seemed to put a lot more effort into his studies compared to what was 'normal' for him in the days Blaine had been at the school so far. To say he wasn't concerned about the guy he'd consider almost a friend at this point would be a lie, but Blaine tried to play it cool.

Even with the goal of not letting things bother him, Blaine still was so tense by the end of the day that he was practically buzzing with energy as he entered the weight room after changing into a pair of sweatpants and a simple white tank. He wrapped his hands and slid the gloves on, securing them at the wrists and flexing his fingers as much as he could while they were confined mostly to fists. The restraint was a comfort, and Blaine couldn't hold back the satisfied grin that crossed his lips before he turned into the bag and swung. Hard.

The affirmative  _smack_  that sounded when he laid into the bag made Blaine's blood pump just a little harder and gave him a release of all the tension in his body. After the first punch it was easy to let loose, getting in fast jabs and hard hits that made the bag vibrate along with his muscles. It felt so good. A true release. Blaine loved the strength that ran through his very being when he laid the bag out like this, and he loved the way it made him feel like he could actually take on the world. With his ability to fight, Blaine knew he would never be the weak kid he was in ninth grade. He'd never be weak again.

When his arms fell at his sides and he panted a bit, taking a small break, a somewhat familiar noise reached his ears. Blaine had to control his panting in order to hear it more clearly, but there it was- music. And it wasn't the original artist, either. There was singing and a live band performing the backing and… he was definitely hearing the voices of the kids he sat with at lunch. He could almost pick them all out individually.

_"Can you hear the horses?_

_'Cause here they come_

_And I never wanted anything from you_

_Except everything you had and what was left after that too"_

He caught them mid-song, but Blaine was still stuck staring dumbly at the air vent where the voices flowed from. Florence and the Machine? He didn't think the Warblers would ever pick an alternative style song like that. Katy Perry and pop hits that were easy to set to whistles and other natural noises, yes, but edgy gritty music with feeling? That was… foreign to the boxer.

_"Fun fast for your mother, run fast for your father_

_Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers_

_Leave all your love and your longing behind_

_You can't carry it with you if you want to survive_

_The dog days are over"_

Leave it all behind had been the idea that Blaine came to this school with, but was it really what he should have done? Was surviving worth it if you were a mere shell of who you were meant to be? He'd thought fitting in would be worth forgetting the bow ties and singing, his love of public performance, but now he just wasn't so sure. He was especially unsure when he heard that specific countertenor finishing the song.

_"The horses are coming_

_So you better run"_

Blaine swallowed hard and shook himself from head to foot, willing his nerves to leave his body, before laying into the bag with a new found vigor. That's exactly what he'd done. Blaine had turned tail and run. And now he felt so trapped and so damn alone, hiding behind the facade of some confident t-shirt wearing straight boy who didn't use near enough hair gel and he  _hated himself_  for it. He was a coward. A coward who would have bruised knuckles despite the gloves and tape by the time he was done taking out his frustrations.

* * *

 

The weekend allowed Blaine's knuckles to heal and his parents didn't even notice the bruises when they happened to be in the same room as him, so it hadn't been much of a problem. When Monday came, though, he didn't know what to do with himself.

When he walked into the school that morning, Blaine was pleased to see that Kurt hadn't been tossed into a dumpster (at least not yet) but he was significantly less pleased when a whole group of letterman-clad idiots shoved past him and right up to the taller boy, throwing not one, but four slushies in his face and over his front, covering his body in grape-flavored ice.

"Why don't you guys pick on someone else for a change?" The words were out of his mouth before Blaine consciously thought about it, and he regretted it the moment the two biggest jocks turned to glare at him.

The cups hit him and Blaine flinched, only to be laughed at by the whole group of jocks. "Oooo, Hummel's got himself a  _boyfriend_ ," Karofsky's voice rang through the hall. A few high-fives were exchanged before the whole group took off pompously down the hall, and Blaine was left there shaking just as much as Kurt, though his wasn't due to the chill of four slushies.

Without much thought, Blaine turned and stalked away from the boy who was still covered in a purple mess, not stopping until he reached the weight room. He skipped English that morning, spending the period pounding into the punching bag and pretending his angry tears were just more sweat. It wasn't until lunch that he started thinking clearly enough to realize he hadn't seen Kurt since that morning. It wasn't until chemistry that he realized Kurt had left early. It wasn't until he was leaving the school that he overheard Finn talking to Rachel about how he was worried about his brother, about how the boy had left after the slushie attack that morning, about how he didn't know how much more Kurt could take and how frustrated he was that the other boy insisted on handling everything on his own.

* * *

 

Time passed relatively easily after that day. Blaine was spending less time around Kurt which meant the jocks were spending less time paying attention to the new kid, and he was working with the bag every day after school again. Blaine had stopped himself from punching too hard again so that he wouldn't bruise his knuckles and keep himself from his daily work out, and he had taken to listening to the Glee club whenever he needed to take a little break for some water and breathing.

It seemed as if Kurt was having a little less trouble with the jocks. They at least had lessened their attacks to single slushies a couple days a week, and he'd only been put in the dumpster once more since that first time Blaine had seen it. The locker shoving was still almost every day, and he could tell there were lingering bruises that never quite got the chance to heal, but Blaine didn't bring that up. He didn't force himself on Kurt at all.

The thing was, Blaine wasn't sure if he was looking the other way to spare Kurt some embarrassment or if he was doing it all for himself. He knew he didn't want to risk the attacks from the jocks. He didn't want them using that word again.  _Boyfriend_. He couldn't risk something like that. Not when he was finally fitting in at least a little.

Every day that he heard the Glee kids singing, though, it pulled at Blaine's heart. He missed that. He missed singing and performing and feeling the adrenaline rush of getting the words and moves just right. More than that, Blaine missed being a part of something bigger, and he missed being  _himself_. Every time he heard Kurt's voice belt out a verse, usually followed by a 'and that's why I can sing anything you can, Rachel Berry,' he caught himself grinning from ear to ear and wishing he was in that choir room too.

When he got tired of swinging lazily at the bag, all his frustrations gone within the first half of his workout session, Blaine would drag himself to the showers in the locker room and listen to the end of the Glee rehearsal. Each day he'd find himself barely holding back from joining in with the songs, and each day he'd leave without turning the radio on in his car, instead opting to sing those songs he'd just listened to.

It was almost a week of this routine before Blaine finally gave in and filled the empty locker room with the sounds of his own voice. The club was singing one of his favorite songs, and he just couldn't help it. The music wouldn't stay inside any longer, and as he stood beneath the steaming stream of water, the curly haired boy held his loofa and let loose.

_"You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine_

_Just own the night like the 4th of July_

_Cause baby, you're a firework_

_Come on, show 'em what you're worth_

_Make 'em go, "Ah, ah, ah"_

_As you shoot across the sky-y-y"_

Blaine didn't think about the fact that if he could hear the singing from the choir room in the shower, they could probably hear the singing from the shower in the choir room. At least, if they were quiet. The thing about the Glee club was that they often had to stop for changes to be made to a song, even if the song wasn't finished. So, at times, the room would go quiet while adjustments were made, and during one of these times, those club members were struck even more silent by the velvet vocals being delivered through the air vents.

_"You don't have to feel like a wasted space_

_You're original, cannot be replaced_

_If you only knew what the future holds_

_After a hurricane comes a rainbow"_

He turned around while he sang, rinsing the suds from his body and figuring he was about finished there. Blaine sighed and turned off the water, grabbing his towel and running it over his head, chest, and back before securing it about his hips and exiting the stall.

That was when he stopped in his tracks and stared with wide hazel eyes as no less than four sets of eyes stared at him.

"I told you guys, they're always in the showers!" That was Finn's voice. The quarterback had his hands over his eyes in an apparent attempt at giving Blaine some sort of privacy. Meanwhile, Rachel was openly gaping at his chest and arms, Mercedes was muttering something about how unfair it was that he looked that good  _and_  could sing, and Kurt was… turning a rather vivid shade of crimson. Interesting.

Blaine blinked at the four Glee club members, waiting a moment before finally opening his mouth and speaking. "Uh, sorry, but what? Who is always in the showers? And… why are you guys in here? For one, two of you are  _girls_  and this is the  _guys locker room_  and for another… shouldn't you be in Glee club?"

Finn seemed to be groaning about this being a bad idea or something while Kurt kept elbowing his brother and telling him to shut up already. Mercedes was still muttering about his skills, but Rachel seemed capable of actual useful conversation. "Singers. That's how Finn was 'discovered' too. In the shower. Here in the locker room, actually. We were in the choir room and we couldn't help but hear you and  _wow_  Blaine, why didn't you ever tell us you could sing like that? You're  _really good_. I mean, not as good as  _me_  obviously, but  _really good_. You have to join Glee club! It's been decided. We had to come see who was singing and make them join. So now you have to join. Welcome to New Directions!"

This had to be a weird hallucination or something. That was the only explanation for Rachel Berry going all crazy too-many-words-in-one-breath at him when he was still standing with just a flimsy towel around his naked body. There was no way this was really happening. Blaine went so far as to pinch himself before he admitted that he was really standing, in a towel, in the locker room shower, in front of four familiar faces. And they wanted him to join the show choir. This was… definitely one of the weirdest things Blaine had ever experienced, and he'd dealt with Jeff and Nick for a year.

"Whoa, wait. You want me to join the… no no no. I  _can't_. I mean, that's like… I already get enough shit from people. The last thing I need to add to that is a slushie facial to look forward to." The thing was, Blaine really did want to join the Glee club. He was just… scared. More than scared. Blaine was  _terrified_  of facing the bullying he did two years ago.

Of course, this didn't deter Rachel in the slightest. "See, that's just it! You already hang out with all of us anyway, and you already get all the flack the lesser members get, too. Why not just be part of the club if you're already treated like one of us?"

It actually made sense if Blaine thought about it that way, but he didn't want it to make sense because his heart wanted it to so badly and if it started making sense to his brain he was doomed. "I… but… Rachel it-" Oh, who was he kidding? It wasn't hat easy? Sure it was. All he had to do was say 'yes' and that was that. It all made sense and it was what Blaine really wanted and it would make him  _happy_  and it would make his friends happy, too. "Fine.  _Fine_ , but if this ends badly I am blaming all of you. Yes, even you, Finn."

He was still grumbling at them as the four other students told him to come to practice the next day and excused themselves, Rachel actually squealing while Kurt grinned at Blaine and rolled his eyes. Finn still wouldn't uncover his own eyes and Mercedes was now going on about how she'd best not have to give up any solos for the new kid.

Finally able to get dressed, Blaine sighed and shook his head. This was going to be one hell of a year.


	3. Chapter Three

"Hey, are we… I mean, we're still good, right?" Blaine was rubbing the back of his neck a bit awkwardly as he stood by Kurt's locker. He hadn't brought up the whole dumpster incident yet, but it was starting to feel like a giant weight on his chest and he had to do something to take care of it. "I'm sorry about what I said. Suggesting you let Finn take care of Karofsky and Azimio. I mean… I get it, you know? Well, you don't really know, but… I get it."

And how he wanted to tell Kurt just how much he got it. How he understood that this was a fight that was bigger than Finn or anyone else could ever understand. How he knew that it wasn't just the stuff that all the other Glee kids went through. This was something more and something personal and something that had to  _stop_  but not because of someone else saying something. It had to be Kurt who fought this battle because it was  _his battle_  and he just… he had to win. Blaine understood that more than anyone could ever know.

Blue eyes looked at him for a minute before Kurt shook his head and shot him a smile, closing his locker and nudging Blaine with a shoulder as they started for their English class together. "Don't worry so much, Blaine. You were just trying to help. I get it. It's just something that I have to face. Besides, getting Finn involved would just end up with him being even more hated by half of his stupid football team, and that would just end in more losses on the field, which would make life at home a bitch. So I'd rather just let him play nice with the meat-heads." He laughed lightly then and it was absolutely musical.

Blaine couldn't help but smile as they took their seats for class. "I'm glad you aren't mad at me or whatever. I just… I think you're really brave, Kurt. For standing up to them all and just… being you. It's really something." The teacher strode into the room then and the class quieted, but Blaine still caught the blushing grin that followed his words, and he felt his own cheeks heat up a bit as well. This guy was everything Blaine wished he could be. Kurt was secure with himself, he was downright fierce, and he wasn't scared despite the bullying he faced every single day. Despite the bruises that made it hurt sometimes when he sat back in his chair during class. Nothing seemed to get Kurt Hummel down, and it made Blaine wish he was that strong.

He tried to think of exactly what the main thing was that inspired him so much when it came to Kurt, and one word came to mind. He scrawled it down on a small square of paper, and passed it to his friend as the teacher droned on about something pointless that was already in his brain from his year at Dalton.

 _Courage_.

Kurt had a smile on his face for the rest of the class period.

* * *

It was already October and the Glee club was busy preparing for Sectionals, which would be held at the start of November this year. They were also talking about upcoming parties, since October meant Halloween, which for most of the kids meant an excuse to let loose and party it up apparently. Blaine wasn't sure how he felt about this whole party idea, but it didn't seem like any of the Glee kids were exempt from the shindig, so he just shrugged and shared an eye-roll with Kurt, who seemed just as put off by the idea of Puck scrounging up alcohol so the girls could dress in skimpy costumes and get sloppy drunk at Rachel's.

At least they had some good songs picked out for Sectionals, though. It was strange to be in a Glee club that didn't choose just one person to front them, but in a way it was nice, too. Sure, Rachel was the main lead of the club, but she wasn't always the lead in their numbers, and that was… oddly refreshing. Blaine couldn't help but grin when he was offered one of the leads in  _Call Me Maybe_. It was the big group number, and it was bound to be good, especially with the dance routine that mimicked that viral youtube video.

He was humming the song as he strode through the hall that second Monday of October, head bobbing a little and pants cuffed in a way that wasn't very masculine of him. He was slipping, and he hadn't even realized it, but apparently somebody had. As he headed to his locker to gather his books, having just finished lunch with the others from Glee, Blaine nearly ran into the lumbering jocks who blocked his path.

He gulped. The others had taken their books with them, so he was on his own on his trip to his locker. He was alone, pretty much cornered, and one of those jocks, he was pretty sure it was the one Kurt called Karofsky, was definitely holding a bright red slushie.  _Shit_.

"If it isn't the newest Gleek," the guy spat, making the word sound like the world's worst insult even though Blaine was pretty sure the jocks were the only ones who really found it that insulting. Still, he found himself shuddering before the guys and he barely had time to brace himself before the frigid ice and syrup hit him square in the face, sliding down the front of his shirt and back of his neck without any resistance.

It was cold, painfully so, and Blaine felt his eyes prick with what had to be tears, but he refused to let them fall. Not in front of the meat-heads who were howling their laughter at him. "Have fun with your new friends,  _Gleek_ ," Azimio, Blaine remembered the name, teased as they turned and high-fived. "Hope you enjoyed your first slushie facial! Plenty more to look forward to!"

Their laughter echoed even after the guys had left the hall, and Blaine felt his knees give out before he even realized he was about to fall. Instead of the pain that should have come from crashing to his knees in the hallway, though, Blaine felt a soft but sturdy embrace. He didn't fall all the way to the floor, but instead found himself supported, leaning against the lockers and able to open his eyes as they were wiped clean with something softer than a gym towel.

"You okay? The first one always sucks the worst…" It was Kurt's voice soothing in his ears, and Blaine couldn't hold back the small sob that caught in his throat. He was freezing and he hadn't been physically bullied in a while now and it was  _scary_  and this wasn't even with them knowing who he really was! "Shh, come on, I'll help you. Do you have another shirt? You know what? Don't even worry about it. I have something you can wear. Just… let me get in my locker real quick, okay? We've all been here, Blaine. It's okay."

His smile only made Blaine have to fight to choke back another sob. The boy was so perfect, so selfless, and he had to deal with this shit _every single day_. How was he still so kind? It hurt to even think of Kurt being so alone here dealing with these horrible monsters masquerading as kids… but he couldn't come out. He couldn't tell the beautiful, helpful boy before him that he thought he might love him. No, that simply wasn't an option.

It didn't even bother Blaine when he admitted it in his mind. He might be falling for Kurt. He'd known for a while now. The fact that the kid was now leading him to the bathroom with a dress shirt that looked much fancier than a mechanic's son should be able to afford just made that clearer. He was going to let Blaine wear one of his precious shirts, and it wasn't even just an undershirt or something. It was something he'd seen Kurt wear before. It was something he cared about, and he was sharing it with Blaine.

His heart ached.

Stained shirt soaking in cold water in the sink, Blaine let Kurt use the hand towel (from home- the ones at school are horrible for the skin) to clean off his neck and back. He tried to clean his own chest and face, but his hands were shaking so hard he couldn't do it and Kurt simply snatched the towel back and soothed his friend with warm water and sweet whispers of support and care.

By the time Kurt was done, Blaine's hair was all loose curls (gel gone thanks to the need to wash away the slushie) and his face was fresh and a lot happier. Blaine's hands had stopped shaking enough that he could button the shirt on his own, and Kurt returned to the soaking shirt, ringing it out and looking it over with a studious gaze.

"You'll have to use some stain remover still, but that should have stopped the worst of it from setting. If you want, I could wash it for you. I've become a sort of master of getting slushie dye out of clothes by now…" The offer was friendly and natural and it made Blaine stare at the boy in awe. It might have been the kindest thing anyone had ever done for him, offering to launder his clothes for him just because they were good at it and he was their friend.

He grinned, heart filling with an emotion that he didn't want to name for fear of what it would mean for his future in this school. His future in the world in general. "That would be great, if you really don't mind. I don't really need anymore questions at home and I'm already going to get enough when I show up in someone else's shirt."

He laughed lightly and watched Kurt put the shirt in a plastic bag before leading the way out of the bathroom. They were already at least ten minutes late for class. "Wanna go to the choir room? Doesn't really seem necessary to go to chem now that we've missed a good chunk of the class anyway. Nobody will be there and we could just… Do homework or something. It'd be easier than explaining why we're late."

Kurt's words were a godsend to Blaine, since he really didn't feel ready to go back to class just yet. He needed a little time to calm down, relax. He needed to stop grinning so much and making what had to be heart-eyes at Kurt, too. "That sounds perfect," was his simple answer, and the two headed to the room that was fast becoming as much a sanctuary to Blaine as it was to the veteran New Directions kids. He could think about his worries later. For now, he just wanted to spend a little more time with Kurt before he was thrust back into the real world that was high school hell.

* * *

 

That afternoon had turned into a whole half of school worth of skipped classes (but it wasn't like anybody cared or reported it to parents anyway, so what was the harm?) until Glee club. In that time, Blaine and Kurt had really gotten to know each other. They'd talked about the art of removing slushie dye from clothing, the necessity of carrying spare clothes in cars, lockers, everywhere possible, really. One never knew how many incidents might occur during the day that necessitated a quick wardrobe change.

Blaine had told the other boy about his old school, explaining how Dalton hadn't allowed creativity with his wardrobe but had offered a shelter from… harm. He told Kurt of being bullied into transferring to the boarding school, but he hadn't let him know why. He wasn't ready for that, especially after the attack today. Kurt had been a bit in awe that Blaine decided to leave a place with so much safety. He'd made a joke about it being all about the lack of girls, which Blaine just laughed at. Oh, if this boy only knew…

The rest of the club joining them only meant the boys included more people in their conversation, which had by that point reached Halloween costumes. This was quite a popular topic, since it was decided that the party was definitely costume-mandatory.

"For the last time,  _Noah_ , I am not cross-dressing for my costume!" The argument had been raging for at least ten minutes, even after Mr. Schue had tried to get them all to settle down, and Blaine couldn't help but laugh at Kurt's indignant huff. "Just because I sing traditionally female songs does  _not_  mean I want to wear a dress!" He'd already smacked Finn in the back of the head when the quarterback pointed out that half of Kurt's wardrobe was technically from the women's department.

Rachel had already announced that she and Finn would be doing a couple's costume, despite Kurt's idea that she should be Elphaba and he would be  _Guy_ linda, which Blaine had a chuckle over at the time. Now, Kurt didn't know what he was going as, Blaine was secretly considering Danny Zuko, and Puck was trying to get Finn to ditch Rachel and be the ass to his horse's front half. The whole conversation was really going nowhere and Mr. Schuester was clearly getting frustrated.

"Are we going to have a club meeting with singing and dancing and, you know,  _practice_  today, or are you all just going to talk about Halloween costumes? Because you do realize we have  _sectionals_  in a matter of weeks, right?" The directors voice washed over them and got lost somewhere in Santana's declaration to be the 'sexiest damn baby unicorn you've ever seen' after Brittany informed her of her costume. Apparently Brittany was going to be half unicorn and half cat because she was 'only halfway unicorn and Lord Tubbington wanted to help me be more like him' whatever that meant.

Brittany poked Kurt and told him he should dress as a dolphin, to which Kurt rolled his eyes but forced a smile for the sweet, if confusing, blonde. Mr. Schue had already given up, tossing some sheet music on the piano and leaving the room for the teachers' lounge and a strong cup of coffee. Rachel was screeching at Puck about how Finn was not being his horse butt because he was already going to be her Nick Arnstein (pre-prison, Finn) to which Finn just shrugged, not having any idea what the hell was going on.

Quinn said something about a bunny, which had Mercedes piping up about how cliche that was and the two started snapping at each other while Tina and Mike whisper-fought about how much Tina would rather  _not_  go with some Asian theme for her costume. Artie started telling Blaine about how he was going to turn his wheelchair into a car with some expertly wielded cardboard and dress as a Nascar driver. It actually sounded pretty cool, but soon Blaine was distracted as Mr. Schue had wandered back in and demanded that they be finished now that the voices weren't raised quite so high.

From that point, practice actually commenced and Blaine was more than ready to sing his background bits in  _Poker Face_  which was oddly enough a duet between Rachel and Kurt. It worked well, though. The two really did compliment each other's voices when they weren't fighting with each other. The solo song, and artist, hadn't been announced yet despite how close it was to the competition, but apparently this was the natural progression of things and Blaine shouldn't' worry.

The practice went well despite them not having the full time thanks to the Halloween discussion, and they all parted with easy smiled. It would be next week before Mr. Schue announced the solo song of  _Livin' On A Prayer_  to be sung by Finn. It was his first actual solo, and the quarterback was pretty pumped about it. Rachel was even happy for her boyfriend. Life in New Directions was pretty damn good.


	4. Chapter Four

Luckily for Blaine, he only had to suffer two more slushie facials in the time between his first frozen experience and the Halloween party. He'd decided to definitely go with the Danny Zuko costume, finding an old leather jacket of Cooper's hidden in his brother's old room and pairing it with a tight pair of jeans, cuffed at the ankle, and one of his own undershirts. It was easy for the boy to gel his hair to the perfect  _Grease_  look, and he slid on a pair of Coop's sunglasses for a final touch. It was perfect. Even if his Chuck's should have been swapped out for a pair of boots. He liked his ankles showing, thanks, and the low-tops still matched pretty well.

Nobody knew what Kurt was going to show up. They didn't know what Tina and MIke had decided on either, or if Puck would actually show up as half a horse. It seemed likely enough, though, so Blaine prepared for insanity as he drove to Rachel's house.

His keys were confiscated by the hostess, who made quite the Fanny Brice if Blaine did say so, and he was informed that there were enough sleeping bags and blankets and pillows that no one was allowed to leave. That wouldn't be an issue for him, since his parents weren't even home to need permission. Business trips seemed to crop up more and more often these days. Oh well. At least this meant he wouldn't be spending another weekend alone at the large house, right?

"Da-yum, Anderson!" it was Santana's voice that practically growled when he trotted down the stairs to Rachel's basement. She was still waiting for some members of the group to show up, so she just told him where to find everyone else. He ducked his head in an effort to hide the blush as he avoided Santana and found his way to a couch with another occupant.

He tilted his head at his fellow couch-sitter, then golden eyes lit up. "Kurt! That make up is  _amazing_! You look just like a brown tabby!" And the boy really did. Even the light streaks in his hair matched the colors of his layers, scarf, and the make up he'd painted on his face. Somehow he still had that perfect coif of hair despite furry ears being clamped in it, and he even had fake whiskers attached to his cheeks near his mouth. It was really impressive.

That musical laugh rang through the room as Kurt grinned at him. "Well, if Rachel wouldn't go broadway with me, why not go cliche with the rest of this group, right? I do have to approve of your Danny Zuko, though. Very clever, Mr. Anderson." The boy even had orange cat-eye contacts in. It was… wow. Blaine found himself wondering if there was a tail attached to those burnt-chocolate colored skinnies, too.

Sure enough, Kurt turned to playfully hiss at Puck, who had actually tried to pet his head for some reason, and there it was, peeking behind his ass. A freaking  _tail_. Ugh. There was no reason a cat costume should look so damn hot on a guy. Wasn't the whorish animal trend only supposed to be a girl thing? Of course, Kurt didn't look any sort of whorish. He just looked… hot.

Blaine shook his head in an attempt to clear it as he focused on the rest of the party goers. Sure as she said, Santana was rocking the unicorn costume. He wasn't sure what made it a  _baby_  unicorn, but whatever. She had a horn and ears and her hair was in multiple pony tails going down her head in a mohawk fashion to make a mane, a tail stuck to her ass, which was barely covered by a pair of red booty shorts. They must have been for Cheerios or something.

Brittany had a horn, cat ears, a horse tail, and drawn on whiskers that had nothing on the fake ones Kurt had stuck to his face. Blaine vaguely wondered if there was glue on the boy's face and how much it would hurt to take those things off, but then he got distracted by Tina as some kind of witch and Mike sulking as what appeared to be a single chop stick? Or he was just a stick. It seemed distinctly Asian, though, and the way he was glaring at Tina told Blaine that the chop stick was supposed to be part of a pair. Uh oh.

Mercedes was all glitz and glam in a golden fairy costume that shimmered when she moved, a dusting of gold glitter over her face and arms. "Looking fabulous, Mercedes," Blaine said with a shy grin, having gotten up from the couch to get a drink from what Puck seemed to have made into a bar. He had no idea where all the liquor came from, but as long as the delinquent was serving and they were all stuck there for the night anyway, he figured he might as well indulge. "And what are you supposed to be, Puck?"

The other man's lips quirked into a rueful smile as he popped open a beer and handed it to Blaine. "Puckzilla. I have spikes on the back of my jacket, see?" He turned and showed off a row of cardboard taped to his leather jacket. Clearly that made him a dinosaur or whatever a 'Puckzilla' was. "Here, take this to the tomcat. Bitch hasn't even had a sip yet and if he thinks he's going to bail just 'cause he hasn't drank anything he's never met Berry." He thrust a solo cup in Blaine's hand and he was back on his way to the couch.

Kurt tried to deny the drink, but Blaine told him that they were stuck and might as well get a little buzzed before the games started, which had Kurt drinking the vodka and sprite, which seemed to be a lot more vodka judging from his face, in a bit of a rush. As soon as Rachel and Finn rejoined the party with a Nascar Artie coming in the downstairs entrance, Blaine found out why Kurt was so eager to get drunk.

"This party has officially started! Time for karaoke! I'm going to sing 'Don't Rain on my Parade' because I am properly dressed for-" Rachel's voice, in a microphone no less, was cut off by Santana standing up and screaming.

"SPIN THE BOTTLE!" Blaine gulped, suddenly finding great interest in rushing through his current beer and making grabby hands for another when Kurt got up to refill his own drink. The group was then found in a circle on the floor and Santana was spinning an empty beer bottle with a sly grin on her face.

She spun Finn and made fun of his 'boy lips' and lack of technique. He spun Puck and tried to awkwardly avoid his best friend's lips, only for Puck to grumble, say 'fuck it' rather loudly, and kiss the quarterback on the mouth in a rather impressive way that had Finn sitting back with a look of confusion clear on his face. That was… interesting. Puck spun Kurt, who squeaked and glared.

His eyes were narrowed as he took his place in the middle of the circle before Puck, not quite leaning in yet. "Noah, I swear, if you do anything more than press those lips against mine, I will  _cut you_." Santana about fell over laughing when Puck tried to slip Kurt some tongue and the smaller boy actually swiped at him like a cat, scratching his face and smirking with a 'told ya so' on his lips.

Kurt's spin landed on Rachel and that was painfully awkward, then Rachel spun Tina and the two giggled more than they kissed. Tina spun Blaine and got a little too into it for his tastes. Then it was his turn to spin. And of course, as luck would have it, the bottle landed on Kurt. _Shit_.

This time there was no threat for if tongue was used, but Blaine still felt like he should be chaste with the other boy. Even if he really wanted to go full make out with him. He groaned a little audibly, covering it with a cough, then leaned in to connect their lips. He felt like he was on fire with the heat coursing from his lips to his stomach and settling in his groin. Oh god. Maybe alcohol hadn't been the best idea.

He sat back, panting slightly, and Kurt spun after a visible shake. So, apparently he wasn't the only one affected. The bottle landed on Finn and Kurt and the boy in question both gagged. "Oh, god, no. I am not anywhere  _near_  drunk enough to kiss my brother. Satan, you can kiss him. I'm done with this game." And with that, Kurt abandoned the kissing game in favor of a bathroom break and a refill.

The game progressed from there with many of them exchanging kisses. Blaine ended up kissing Artie, which was awkward, Tina again, and yeah she definitely was too into it, and even Santana, who seemed surprised by his ability to make out. (Well, if he was going to be forced to kiss a lesbian he might as well show off a little, right?) Then the game ended because Puck and Finn had spun each other again and they were not going there. Again.

"Lady Hummel, get your ass back over here. It's time for truth or dare and you are my first ask." Santana really had a way of taking over when it came to parties… Kurt rolled his eyes and shook his hips in such a way that his tail twitched as he made his way back to the circle, a fresh drink for himself in hand along with an unopened can of beer for Blaine.

He sat next to Blaine, too, and that made him smile even more than the beer, which he took rather happily. "Fine. Truth. I don't trust you with dares, Satan." He used Blaine's shoulder to balance as he lowered himself to a seated position, and that made the dark-haired boy smile all the more.

"Alright. How far have you gotten with someone?" Her eyes lit with mischief as she asked and Kurt only rolled his, looking a little embarrassed even as he swore at her.

"Oh, fuck you. You know I haven't gotten anywhere. Only gay guy any of us even knows aside from Rachel's dads, remember? That was a wasted fucking question." He took a large swig of his drink and Blaine vaguely noted that Kurt's filter disappeared when wasted. He clearly had a much bigger vocabulary than he usually showed. "Finn. Truth or dare?"

By the time it reached Blaine, Puck was the questioner and there had already been a good ten truths and dares exchanged. Finn had ended up with his underwear on his head (having gone to the bathroom to get them off, thankfully), Quinn banned Rachel from talking unless it was her turn or else she'd have to streak through the neighborhood, Santana had revealed that her biggest fear was being forgotten (which made everyone need another drink), and Puck had just finished riding Finn around the room like a pony (thank you Brittany for a very weird dare).

He clearly wasn't thinking when the word slipped past his lips, but it did anyway. "Dare." Even Santana glanced at Blaine with a small snort as she leaned back against Brittany.

"Damn, Anderson. You got balls. I thought the costume was going to be the craziest thing you revealed tonight. Instead we get the make out king who takes dares from Puckerman." She snuggled into Brittany getting more comfortable for the obvious show that was to come.

It seemed like ages between Santana's promise that his choice was a poor one to Puck actually opening his mouth to give the dare. In that time, Blaine took a hefty swig of his beer- he'd lost count as to what number he was on- and steeled himself for whatever was to come. No amount of mental preparation could have prepared him for the dare that left Puck's lips while Blaine still had a mouth full of beer.

"Alright, I dare you to put that mouth to good use and show Hummel the way to… hmm, how 'bout second base? Word has it that's how far our most virginal player has gone after all." He shot a wink at Rachel, who blushed and glared at the mohawk-wearing dope of a boy.

Blaine's mouth went dry after he choked on the beer he'd finally managed to swallow, coughing before sitting there staring at Puckerman as if he was about to say 'just kidding!' and laugh it off. Of course, there was no 'just kidding' even if there was laughing. Cackling actually. From Santana. And giggling from just to Blaine's right.

He turned his head and stared at the cat-boy who had literally fallen backwards and lay on the floor laughing. Not laughing, but  _giggling_. His drink was spilled over his shoulder from the fall, but he didn't even seem to notice the wet spot on the shoulder of his layered shirts. God, Kurt had to be drunk if that was the case. Blaine stared at him for a while before clearing his throat and finally poking the boy who he had been dared to, well, he wasn't even sure  _what_  really. What constituted as second base anyway?

A squeak answered the poke and Blaine rolled his eyes. "C'mon, kitten. I have a dare to do." He tugged on Kurt's arm, and something between the tugging and the serious tone seemed to sober the brunette.

Blue eyes peered from him to Puck, widening as he sat up and focused on the situation. "Wait, you're serious? What the fuck, Noah? I cannot believe I let you guys talk me into this stupid party. I don't need your help gaining  _sexual experience_ , jeez…" He glanced to Blaine and blushed a pleasant rosy hue which only made Blaine more aware of how much he actually wanted to complete this dare. Which probably wasn't a good thing, given how Kurt didn't know he was gay and so thought he was being forced on Blaine.

"It's just a dare, come on," he muttered, tugging Kurt into his lap and smothering the boy's arguments with his mouth. Apparently that was all it took for a rather drunk Kurt to let go of the situation, because at the first prod of his tongue, Blaine gained entrance to Kurt's hot mouth. He was pretty sure he moaned a little as their tongues fought for dominance, but everybody was too drunk to notice or it was too loud for them to hear it. Either option worked for Blaine, as he caressed Kurt's teeth, tongue, the roof of his mouth with his own hungry tongue.

Second base was usually copping a feel, wasn't it? Over the clothes feel, if Blaine remembered from the talk of the Warblers. Well, with Kurt in his lap he could definitely feel things. He supposed he'd gotten to somewhere between second and third base when he'd briefly dated Jeremiah, but that had been… well, it hadn't been at all like this, and he had to fight with himself before letting his hands fall to Kurt's ass and pulling the boy closer, effectively rubbing their hips together as he broke away to breathe.

Oh god, that was definitely an erection. And, dear  _Lord_ , Blaine was hard too. He sincerely hoped Kurt wouldn't think anything of him for this, and he wouldn't say a damn thing to Kurt either. Nope. Not a thing. Even if it did make his heart flutter to know that he could do that to the boy he was quickly falling further and further for. Instead of focusing on their mutual excitement, Blaine focused on his dare. Lips traced down Kurt's jaw, along his neck until they settled at the juncture between neck and shoulder, one hand lifted up to hold his shirts away from the spot. Blaine could taste some of the face paint on his lips, but he didn't care. He was determined.

With one steady breath to convince him to throw all trepidation to the wind, Blaine sealed his lips over the tender flesh there and sucked, nipped, and licked until a bruise was forming and Kurt was wriggling in his lap, pushing their hips together so hard they might bruise. There was cheering and Blaine felt himself blushing as he locked eyes with Kurt and saw just how blown his pupils were. He cleared his throat a bit awkwardly as Kurt scrambled out of his lap, muttering something about needing another drink and excusing himself to the bar.

"Once again, I'm left saying  _damn_  Anderson. You are something else, you know that? Now it's your turn to pick a victim, though, Casanova, so don't get too lost in that lusty haze." Santana's voice broke whatever remaining haze there had been, so Blaine shook himself a bit and asked Mike, who he then dared to sit in Puck's lap for the rest of the game. Might as well make two other people uncomfortable, right?

The game progressed and Kurt returned with a drink and shifty glances every now and again that Blaine tried his best to ignore. By the time the game ended, they were all pretty drunk and Rachel wanted to sing, so karaoke broke out until everyone was too tired and started passing out. Blaine went to sleep with images of Kurt in his mind, the sound of his kiss-caused groans filling his dreams.


	5. Chapter Five

Morning brought hangovers all around and the need to avoid all noise and brightness. Somehow Kurt had gotten up with Rachel and made pancakes while the girl made pitcher upon pitcher of coffee, and they all muttered angrily as they stuffed pancakes into their bellies in the hopes of soaking up some of the alcohol that was making them roll so uncomfortably. By the time enough coffee and water had been consumed for everyone to drive, they had all managed to pee about a dozen times and at least three people had puked.

Quinn said it was worse than morning sickness as she excused herself from the house so that she might go find her own bed and pass out for the whole day, and Blaine quickly followed after. It might have been bad practice to excuse himself before clean-up was done, but he was barely standing and he didn't really want to puke at Rachel's and his house was so nice and empty and silent. It was calling to him, and it didn't have the awkward glances still-partially-kitty Kurt was shooting at him.

When Blaine got home to his blessedly empty house, he didn't do much. He dragged himself to the bathroom, took a long shower, and flopped into his bed after taking some Advil with a large glass of water. He slept most of the day away, then forced himself to work on an English essay rather than think about what exactly had happened last night and just how much his life was changing.

* * *

The start of November was not looking good for one Blaine Anderson. He got to school on Monday only to have a slushie tossed in his face before the first warning bell even rang. At least this time he had a change of clothes and knew how to handle things without falling apart, thanks to Kurt. Kurt, who he hadn't talked to at all yet and who he felt so awkward around now…

Surely the party hadn't ruined everything, right? Right. It was just Blaine being overly dramatic as he had a tendency to do. But then… God, it had all felt so  _right_  and so  _good_. All he wanted to do was confess the truth to Kurt. It wasn't like he'd been facing all that much hell from the jocks so far, and he'd been spending a lot of time with the person they so loved to hate. It wouldn't get worse just because he told one person his secret, right?

The rest of Monday was still kind of awkward, but by lunch Tuesday, Blaine felt like he and Kurt were back to 'normal' for them. They were sitting near each other, Quinn oddly sandwiched between them for some reason, and they were laughing at something Finn had said. The quarterback had no idea why it was so funny, which only made it funnier, and Blaine felt… at home.

Glee club went well and they were ready for Sectionals, which were the next Monday over at Carmel high. They'd be missing the day of school for the competition, which had Puck pretty pumped. Their songs were solid and their dance moves were almost perfect. By Wednesday afternoon, they were sure everything was perfect and there was no way they could fail.

Then Thursday came and everything went to hell.

Blaine got out of his car in the parking lot only to spot the herd of lettermans standing sentry by the doors. He'd been getting more and more lax with his clothing choices, and today he had his favorite red skinny jeans hugging his ass, cuffed at the bottom to show his bare ankles. His henley wasn't overly flamboyant, but it was still something that set him apart from the norm, and it suddenly seemed like a horrible idea to have slipped out of his camouflage.

"Oh, look out guys. Got another  _fairy_  coming through!" One of the jocks called as Blaine walked through them and into the school. He shook his head with a muttered curse that was just low enough that the guy wouldn't hear him, only to come face to face with… half the damn Glee club? What the hell was going on? He was just trying to get to his locker…

Blaine took a few more steps toward the locker in question, only for his breath to catch and his blood to run cold. "Dude, we're trying to figure out which one of them did it. They did this to Kurt's locker once and Coach Sylvester had cameras installed so they could stop it happening again. They should know who did it as soon as Kurt finishes talking to her," Finn's voice was distant in the rush of blood that pulsed loud in Blaine's ears.

He stared at the word that had been spray-painted in bright red on his locker.  _FAG_. It was huge and obviously meant special for him, and it was heartbreaking. He hadn't even come out to anyone, yet there it was. The word he was mocked with so damn often. Blaine didn't know what to do.

He'd been thinking of confiding in Kurt! Considering even coming out fully! He'd thought about how he could finally find someone to love and to love him back, and now this? It wasn't fucking fair! It just wasn't fair!

The voices of the other members of New Directions faded into the distance as Blaine ran. He left his stupid locker with the stupid word behind and ran to the gym, slipping into the locker room and changing quickly into the clothes he left there, not even bothering to warm up or properly wrap his knuckles before slamming into the bag. He hit it so hard he could feel the damage he was doing to his hands, and instead of stopping he just hit harder. This was for all the people who ever called him names. Who kicked him when he was down. For all those meat-head jocks and their slushies and their hate. God, did he wish he could just let go on them instead of this bag that had no feelings. The bag that wasn't the people who hurt him. Blaine  _hated_  those jocks, and more than that, he hated himself for what he knew he would do now.

* * *

By the time he'd finished taking out his aggression on the punching bag, Blaine had missed his first class and half of his second and his fists were raw and split. He was pretty sure he'd jammed one finger so far into the knuckle that it wouldn't bed right for a while, but he didn't care. The sting when he balled his fists just reminded him of the rage he was capable of, and the potential for scarred knuckles just made him feel more like a  _real_  man.

Instead of going to his second period class, Blaine sought out Mr. Schuester, finding him in the teachers' lounge with a steaming mug of coffee and a distraught looking guidance counselor. "Um, Mr. Schue? Can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked, feeling small and stupid as he tried not to show the adults his bruised and bleeding knuckles.

The teacher stood and met Blaine in the hallway, concern filling his gentle gaze. Oh, how Blaine  _hated_  himself for this. "Mr. Schue, I'm really sorry… but I… I have to quit Glee club. I… Quinn can get one of the Cheerios to fill in for the twelfth member for Sectionals, I'm sure. My parts can go to whoever. You know there are plenty of good voices to take them. I just… I'm really sorry," and before the concerned looking Mr. Schue could get a word out, Blaine was gone, turning on his heel and stalking out to his car, not ready to take on this day and so choosing to pretend it didn't happen. He'd be mad at himself tomorrow when he figured out what all he'd missed and what he had to make up, but right now, all he could see was that word painted on his locker, and all he could feel was the phantom pain from his Freshman year.

* * *

When he got to school on Friday, Blaine noticed Kurt crawling out of the dumpster and he winced. He was sure the jocks got pissed when they found out Kurt had been the one to go to Coach Sylvester and get one of their best defenders benched until further notice. Blaine was sure he'd catch some flack too, but he did his best to make himself small and duck his head as he entered the school and went to his locker. Today he dressed very self-consciously. He was almost exactly like he'd been on his first day at the new school. Today found him in normal jeans, no cuff at the ankle or anything like that, a loose long-sleeve tee in a dull shade of blue, and his Chuck Taylor's that he'd worn at Halloween. His hair had barely any product, curls hanging in his face as he found most guys didn't bother with copious amounts of gel. He had his camouflage back in full force.

His locker had been freshly painted overnight and was still a little sticky though no color came off on his fingers, and he sighed as he gathered his things for the morning and shuffled to class. Kurt spared him a small glance at the start of class, but that was it. He didn't push and Blaine didn't give him any sign of life in return. He was cutting ties with everyone and everything. It was the only way.

Class was boring without notes or smiles or anything fun and distracting. Blaine found himself absently doodling a bow tie in his margin, biting his lip and wishing he didn't feel like such a worthless ass. He'd let himself get beaten down again, and it had happened so easily this time. He was weak. He felt like utter scum.

When he walked down the halls and happened past a meat-head in a letterman jacket, there was always some muttered insult. Some cough of 'faggot' or 'gay', some mention of his 'girly curls' or comments as vulgar as to ask about how he liked to 'suck cock'. He figured it would end once word got out that he'd left the Glee club. It had to end then, right? Plus he wasn't spending time with Kurt anymore. It had to stop, didn't it?

* * *

It didn't stop.

The New Directions did indeed take a random Cheerio to Sectionals, who Quinn and Santana had to threaten to go to the competition and thus left the group as soon as the competition was over. Now they were one person short and had to prepare for Regionals. They were looking for new members while shooting Blaine glances that broke his heart. He wanted to go back to them so badly, but he just… couldn't. He was too weak.

It was clear that he wasn't in the Glee club anymore when he was still in classes the Monday of Sectionals, but nothing really changed. That Tuesday he was greeted with his first trip to the dumpster, and he almost cried with embarrassment and frustration. He didn't even have Kurt to talk him down from his panic this time, and that hurt more than anything else. Blaine wanted to talk to the boy about all of this more than anything, but he felt like he'd forced Kurt out of his life- how could he ask him to let him back in now?

Thursday found three slushies simultaneously tossed in his face, which had Blaine shivering so badly he could barely wipe the melting ice off of his body before pulling on his fresh clothes. That day, Quinn had actually found him in the girls' bathroom and helped him get cleaned up, not saying anything about him leaving Glee. She seemed to understand personal battles- whether from the baby she'd had last year or some other issue from her past, Blaine didn't know and didn't ask. He was simply grateful to feel like he wasn't completely alone.

Friday held digs at his sexuality every time he happened to be in earshot of any of the jocks, and he was flinching so bad by chem that Kurt silently slid up into the desk behind him and rubbed his tense shoulders. They didn't even exchange words, but the taller boy was experienced with all of this. He knew what Blaine was feeling. And he was helping, even if Blaine had pushed him aside as if he didn't matter.

That broke his heart more than any of the slurs or slushies ever could. He owed this boy so much, but here he was, denying they were even friends. And for what? It seemed obvious he wasn't going to get the jocks off his back even if he  _did_  give up everything here that made him happy.

By the next week he was close to breaking. It was nearing on Thanksgiving, which would mean a week off and a week spent completely alone based on the 'incredible opportunity' his dad had mentioned opening up somewhere in Canada. Quebec or Toronto or something. He didn't know and he didn't care. It was just another holiday by himself, and he wouldn't even have the Glee club to potentially hang out with since he'd written them all off.

He was slumping his way to his locker before lunch on Wednesday, a week and a half after the Sectionals win, when it happened. Out of nowhere about four or five meat-heads approached him and pushed him. Hard.

He heard the crash before he felt the pain of being shoved forcefully into the lockers. His back screamed at the sharp jab of combination locks, and the side of his face caught a vent in such a way that his cheek was bleeding slightly. His hip slammed into his satchel, which was tucked between his body and the lockers, and pain shot up through his side and down his leg. He crumpled to the floor and yelped as one of the guys, he was pretty sure it was the Karofsky one that always seemed to have it out for Kurt, spat at him. Literally spat at him, a wad of drool landing in his curly hair.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Karofsky? What's  _wrong_  with you people? God! Leave him alone! He didn't even fucking do anything to you. At least I give you a fucking  _reason_ ," Kurt's voice was dark and so full of hate and disrespect that Blaine shivered from his useless slumped state on the floor. He heard something, looked up and saw Kurt struggling against the hoard of guys- it looked like he'd hauled back for a punch before he'd been grabbed, and now they were holding his arms, dodging his flailing legs as Karofsky got ready to punch him in the gut.

And then Puck and Finn showed up and about killed the douchebag jock before the others dropped Kurt and started toward the wonder duo. By that point, teachers had come out and were breaking things up, Finn explaining what happened while Puck made sure Kurt was okay. Blaine silently thought it was pretty cool that Kurt had gotten two brothers when he'd gotten Finn in his life, then he tried to move and felt the jolt of pain spasm up his back and he just slumped back down with an obvious wince.

"Hey," the sound was small and sweet, like what you'd use when dealing with a spooked animal, and Blaine couldn't help but think that's exactly what he was right now. He was a spooked deer or something, beaten and scared and so weak. Always weak. "Lean forward. Let me see how bad it is. You hit at a weird angle. Weren't prepared, huh? You… um… your cheek is kinda bloody, but we'll clean that up in a minute."

Gentle fingers pushed Blaine forward despite the way it stung to move, and he found himself leaning over his knees, gritting his teeth as those same fingers probed at his back where his shirt had been pulled up and away from the flesh. He was aware of the fact that he was in the hallway, sitting on the floor, being examined by the guy who he'd considered his best friend at this school until he'd completely cut him off for his own selfish reasons. At the same time, he didn't feel the need to move at all. He could let Kurt care for him like this, with those gentle fingers, all he wanted.

"It's just bad bruising. Nothing major. Think you can get up now? We really need to clean your cheek and make sure that damage isn't too bad. Wouldn't want you scarring your pretty face." The boy smiled softly, kindly, and Blaine had to smile back. He knew he was blushing at being called pretty, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered when Kurt was there.

It seemed like there was no point in fighting it anymore anyway. Hiding away wasn't doing him any good after all. The jocks were still attacking him and calling him gay even if they didn't know it was true. He might as well be honest with himself at least, and with the one person who never judged him from his first day at this school.

They shuffled into the girls' bathroom (it's much cleaner for an open wound) and Blaine let out a heavy sigh, letting Kurt run a warm paper towel, dampened just enough to clean away the drying blood, over his face. "Kurt, I…" he broke off, feeling tears welling in his eyes and knowing some had managed to slip when he'd crumpled to the floor out in the hallway. He didn't know how long he could hold them all in. "I have to tell you something."

The gulp he took when he tried to swallow practically echoed in the small bathroom. This was it. This was everything. Why wouldn't his stupid mouth open? Why wouldn't the words come out? Dammit, he wanted, no  _needed_  to say this! He took another deep gulp of air and steeled himself for the words that were about to fall from his lips.

"I'm gay."


	6. Chapter Six

When Blaine looked up after the words fell, he was met with wide blue eyes and a slightly open jaw. Kurt looked… shocked? Confused? Concerned? It was… strange. Definitely not the reaction Blaine had been expecting, and he was trying to think of something more to say when Kurt finally seemed to find his voice.

"Blaine…" the boy's eyes were full of something that seemed almost like pity, and it had Blaine wanting to curl up in a ball and take back his admission. He felt like he had said something  _wrong_  and it was painful. "If this is about the party and the dare… We were all really drunk, Blaine. There's no reason to think that getting all hot and bothered while intoxicated has any bearing on your sexuality. I mean, hell, I made out with  _Santana_  for Christ's sake. Doesn't mean I'm going to sign up for football and hook up with the cheerleaders now."

Oh. So the only reason Kurt was reacting this way was because he thought Blaine was only just now coming out. As in like,  _coming out_ , like for the first time ever. He couldn't help it. He started laughing hysterically, leaning against the wall of the bathroom while Kurt stared at him like he had lost it.

Before Kurt could say anything about the sudden hysteria, Blaine forced out words in place of the laughter. "Kurt… oh god, Kurt, you didn't really think I was just coming out for the first time in a fucking bathroom after getting bashed, did you?" He shook his head and wiped at his face, the laughter and smile completely clearing away the pain and fear from the locker incident. "I've been out for a while now. It's actually why I ended up in Dalton. Bullies put me in the hospital in Freshman year and I… well, I guess I just ran away from my problems and… hid. I didn't want to get beaten up here, so I just opted to climb right back into that old closet I guess." The smile was gone now, replaced with a heavy frown and some self-loathing in hazel eyes.

"Oh." Kurt looked at him and tilted his head, seeming to study him for a minute. "I warned you on your first day. About how they'd say you were gay for spending time with me. And… and you still spent time with me? Even though you were trying to avoid just that?" Those eyes were so full of emotion all the time, Blaine could barely function as he looked into them. He licked his lips as Kurt spoke again. "You're really brave, you know that? Thanks for… everything."

The blush on Blaine's face was soft, but definitely there. "Uh… you're… welcome?" His confusion just made the other boy laugh. It was hardly any time before Kurt finally cleaned the blood from Blaine's cheek and lectured him on using the right creams to make sure it didn't scar.He was pretty sure they were getting way too close to flirting at this point, but it made his head dizzy in a good way so he didn't want it to stop.

Of course, they were brought to awareness of the need for this flirting fun to stop when Blaine's stomach let out an angry growl. Right. They were basically skipping lunch. That probably wasn't a good plan. They grinned at each other and left the bathroom in higher spirits, joining the rest of the Glee club at their usual lunch table and just having a good rest of the lunch period. It seemed like Blaine's doubt and fears had melted away when he finally admitted his secret to Kurt, and he told the rest of the Glee kids he'd be staying after school today if they'd have him back.

* * *

It felt so good to belong. Blaine was welcomed back with open arms, because apparently almost everyone in the Glee club understood exactly how terrifying the jocks could be and how hard it could be to choose Glee over safety. They also promised that he wasn't alone in his attempts to survive each day without some act of violence toward him, and they banded together to protect him just as they all tried to do for Kurt. They didn't even know the truth yet, and they still guarded him from the pain. It was… amazing. Blaine had never felt so much camaraderie in his life, even with the Warblers, and he was so happy the jocks couldn't even get him down.

When he inevitably had his first swirly on the last day before Thanksgiving break, it was Puck who stormed into the bathroom after the jocks and ended up knocking Azimio to the floor. Once it was just Karofsky who had his hands on Blaine, the shorter boy was able to show off his muscles and skills that boxing had developed, catching the jock with a swift left hook that had a bruise growing on his eye and nose, blood dripping from his right nostril, and Blaine and Puck escaping the bathroom without anyone being the wiser.

From that point on, he had a new sort of respect for Puckerman, who had taken him to the locker room to get showered and tossed one of his 'McKinley Football' tees at Blaine so he didn't' have to wear a shirt with toilet water on it. Blaine was so comfortable with the rest of the group that he even confessed to them during lunch on that last day before break that his parents would be gone the whole week off and he had no one to celebrate Thanksgiving with.

There was some serious consideration about having a party at his empty mansion of a house, but they decided to wait for New Years when he assured them his parents would be schmoozing somewhere out of state- possibly even out of country, so instead they just decided that they would have their own little Thanksgiving feast after Black Friday shopping, which Kurt told Blaine he had to accompany him and the girls for.

So, that was how Blaine found Kurt at his doorstep Thursday night, carrying a rather huge turkey and some other supplies despite Blaine having bought everything he thought they'd need other than the bird. "Um, Kurt? It's not Friday yet. I thought you were gonna pick me up on the way to the mall to meet the girls..?"

The taller boy just shook his head and laughed softly. "Oh, Blaine…" He rolled his eyes as he pushed past his friend and into his house, making his way straight to the kitchen despite never having been there before. "We have to get things started tonight in order to leave early enough for the sales, silly boy. Haven't you ever done the Black Friday dance? And you call yourself gay." The way he shook his head at Blaine made the shorter boy snort.

"I'm not exactly  _that_  much of a stereotype you know. Hell, I even passed under your scrutiny. I think that wins me some kind of gay achievement award or something." This time it was Kurt's turn to snort in amusement, even as he opened the fridge, cupboards, and pantry, pulling out all the supplies and rolling up his sleeves.

Blaine watched him, feeling somewhat self-conscious about the baggy sweats and old tee he was wearing. He hadn't exactly gotten fancy today. Or really presentable. At least he wasn't lounging in his boxers though, right? He ran a hand a bit awkwardly through his loose curls, letting it fall to scratch his stubble. He hadn't shaved in a couple days, either.

Kurt looked over at him with a bit of heat in those dancing blue eyes before washing his hands and pulling the turkey toward the sink. "You gonna wash up and help me or just stare all evening?"

The grin on Kurt's face was contagious, at least that's what Blaine figured as he felt his own mouth pull up at the edges and he stumbled over to the sink to scrub up. "So what all do we need to accomplish tonight, oh great chef and master of Black Fridays?" He teased, sticking his tongue out at his friend as they worked together to clean the turkey, Blaine utterly impressed with the fact that Kurt wasn't disgusted by the neck and innards.

"Well, we'll get the bird ready and have it cooking while we shop tomorrow. We can prep the casseroles so they're ready to put in the oven, and we'll make all the desserts tonight, too. I was going to just bring over one of the apple pies I made, but Finn couldn't help himself and ate a whole half by himself, so I was forbidden from stealing the other one." He smirked at the thought of his step-brother getting stared at by his mother while Burt just muttered about his ability to act as a human garbage disposal eating them out of house and home. It had been a fun holiday, to say the least.

Blaine nodded to the plan and started helping as best he could, working hard not to get in the way and even putting his own little flair on some aspects of the meal. The two of them worked together in the kitchen as if it was the most natural thing ever, weaving an intricate dance between the counters and even singing some of the songs they'd been considering for Regionals.

By the time they'd finished all the prep work for the next day, it was getting kind of late and they both muttered about how early they had to get up for the shopping extravaganza that was Black Friday. Kurt yawned and Blaine just grinned at him. This was the most domestic a holiday he'd ever had, and he was really enjoying himself.

"Alright, nap time," Blaine said, reaching out to steady Kurt as he almost nodded off standing in the kitchen. "Come on, everything's ready for tomorrow and you'll be mad at me if you're too tired to shop." He led the boy up the stairs, helping him remove his layers along the way since his tired fingers didn't seem able to grasp the idea of  _buttons_. It was kind of adorable, in Blaine's secret opinion, and his smile had yet to fade.

Once Kurt was clad in only his tight black jeans and a plain white undershirt, Blaine was about to ask if he needed sleep pants or anything and lead him to the guest room that was just done the hall. Instead, Kurt dropped onto Blaine's bed and grabbed one of his pillows, burying his face in the plush material and inhaling the scent that was so clearly Blaine.

His breath caught in his throat as he watched the boy he had more than a small crush on laying in his bed breathing in his scent. Oh holy hell, this was just not  _fair_. Then the boy's voice sounded, muffled by the pillow but still clear enough for Blaine to have to fight back a whimper. "Too tired. Pants uncomfortable. Argh."

Kurt rolled onto his back then, eyes just barely open, and undid his fly, tugging the tight pants down over his hips and tossing them unceremoniously to the floor. Obviously he was pretty tired if he didn't even worry about just tossing his clothes around. Blaine was left gaping at the boy, now clad in nothing but an undershirt and some snug black boxer-briefs. Oh sweet Jesus, he wasn't sure if he could even move.

"Blaaaaine," Kurt whined, rolling onto his side and hugging the pillow again. "Bed time. Sleep. You aren't skipping shopping just 'cause your tired." His eyes were closed again, but the brunette patted at the space beside him on the bed before tugging at the blankets. Okay, so they were going to share a bed tonight. No big deal. Blaine could be cool.

Letting out a shaky breath, Blaine slid under the covers and started to nod off almost as soon as his head touched the pillows. It wasn't until the shrill alarm was blaring at 4 AM that he came back to consciousness and realized Kurt had somehow ended up in his arms, and neither of them seemed upset about it.

* * *

 

Shopping went smoothly all things considered. Everyone was tired, but they were also excited even if a bit cranky, and Blaine had thought ahead enough to pack thermoses of coffee for them all as well. Not all of the girls went, it turned out, since Santana had no desire to wake up that early and she had Brittany stay over at her place the night before, Quinn was determined to be there while the food cooked since nobody really trusted Puck and Finn with the task of not burning Blaine's house down. That left Blaine, Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, and Rachel.

Blaine had a feeling he knew exactly what he was getting himself into, and sure enough about four hours and a few bruises later, he was standing outside Macy's with arms loaded down with bags as Kurt checked something on his smartphone. "Okay, I think we've hit pretty much everything that was time-sensitive now. The only other things I have on my list are online deals, so unless you girls have anywhere else to go..?"

The shorter male couldn't even get mad about not being asked about his own shopping needs. He'd made it pretty obvious that he was mostly there to be a pack mule. It wasn't something that bothered him, though. He was actually really enjoying himself.

They left after agreeing that there was nowhere else in the mall they needed to stop, heading for Kurt's Navigator which comfortably fit all of them and their purchases. Tina asked if they could stop at Michael's for some costume adornments that were on sale that day, thinking ahead for designing their Regionals outfits.

Having no desire to get into it about costume design and his many opinions on the matter, Kurt stayed out in the car with Blaine while the three girls went on their mission in the craft store. "Sorry I dragged you out for all this. I mean, I didn't really expect Rachel to deem you the designated bag-carrier like that."

Kurt's voice made Blaine clear his throat from the passenger seat. He was surprised he'd even registered what the other boy had said, since he was so distracted by his own thoughts. This was pretty much the best holiday he'd ever had, and Kurt had no idea. "Don't apologize. Please. This is… This has been the best day. The  _best_ , Kurt." Hazel eyes sparkled as he looked at his companion. There was no way to put into words how happy Blaine was. It was just… he finally fit in somewhere. He had a pseudo-family in the Glee club and it was amazing. It felt like some emptiness was finally filled in his chest.

Of course, there was still a small hole there and his heart fluttered at the very thought of filling it, too. He watched Kurt lick his lips to wet them and found himself biting his own bottom lip. He wanted to kiss Kurt. He wanted it so bad. But, he hadn't talked to Kurt at all about the fast-developing crush that was taking over his mind since he'd realized he was holding his best friend in his bed the previous night.

Instead, Blaine shook himself out of his own mind and just smiled a goofy, giant smile at the brunette. "I just hope the guys haven't managed to burn down my kitchen. I don't think my parents would be too pleased if they came home to a happy son and a pile of ashes where their house once stood."

Kurt had laughed at that, and the little bit of nervous tension between them virtually evaporated. The girls returned a few minutes later with a couple bags of accessories and whatever else Kurt didn't want to know about, and he pulled the Navigator out of the crowded lot, heading back to Blaine's home and the rest of their friends who would have been there for a couple hours by now.

The rest of the day was full of fun. They sang, danced, ate, and even played a few games in front of a cheerily popping fire in Blaine's ridiculously unused fireplace. It was so much fun, and Blaine couldn't even be sad when they had to call an end to the party and he was left with a dishwasher full of now-clean dishes and a fridge full of leftovers.

Everyone sent texts that they'd made it home despite the newly-fallen snow on the roads, and Blaine fell into his bed with aching cheeks thanks to the smile that hadn't faded from the day before. His life was perfect. He'd go to school on Monday and even if he got slushied or tossed in the dumpster, he wouldn't care. Because he had friends who were like a family and he finally fit in somewhere and he was finally feeling confident enough that maybe, just maybe, he could be himself all the way and not have to worry anymore.


	7. Chapter 7

That Monday came and a slushie did come his way, but Finn and Mike were nearby and managed to push the beverages out of the two puckheads' hands. Blaine's grin from Friday resurfaced then as the guys high-fived him, happy to have outsmarted the idiot Rick 'The Stick' and his assistant captain. They all had a good lunch, then later on a fun Glee meeting wherein songs were slowly gone through in an attempt to narrow their set-list for Regionals.

December was cold in Ohio, and Blaine had to appreciate the way it allowed Kurt to add even more layers, scarves, and even more days of wearing the many amazing boots that made Blaine do a double take in the mornings. The snow also brought a new torture, however, in the form of snowballs, often full of painful clumps of ice, being tossed at the openly gay boy on his way into school each morning. His messenger bag became a shield most days, and Blaine had taken to keeping a hand towel in his locker in case wet hair was an issue when his friend finally made it to their lockers in the morning.

The first time one of the idiot meat-heads found it hilarious to shove snow down the back of Blaine's sweater, Kurt was there to bitch the kid out- they didn't even know that one's name. He was probably some new recruit trying to prove his worth- and run said hand towel up under the sweater and over Blaine's chilled back.

The next day, when Karofsky lobbed a snowball that was mostly a giant clump of ice at Kurt before he could get his bag up in front of his face, Blaine was there to make sure the blood from Kurt's split lip didn't get on his white cashmere top, and he took Kurt to the nurse before going off to tell, not Figgins, but Sue Sylvester what had just happened.

Karofsky was stuck in detention for the rest of the month, and Blaine was practically preening as Coach Sylvester sang his praise for looking after 'her sweet Porcelain'. Songs were chosen for Regionals, which would take place at the start of February, and the club focused instead on Christmas carols and holiday songs, talking about an upcoming concert that Figgins wanted them to hold for the student body.

With the ridiculous amount of heat Kurt had been receiving from the jocks lately, he wanted to do something to stir them up and show them how little they were bothering him, so Blaine had started thinking up ways to musically give the meat-heads the middle finger. As much as he enjoyed Santana's idea of Kurt singing  _Santa Baby_  during the concert, he, along with Finn and surprisingly Puck, didn't think Kurt should do a solo to piss them off. Nobody wanted him up there saying 'screw you' all alone.

"What about a duet?" Blaine's voice surprised even him, since he'd been thinking it but not actually planning to say anything. The rest of the club looked over at him, since they hadn't even been talking about the whole 'Kurt vs. Jocks' situation. They were mid-conversation about dressing some of them as reindeer while Artie played the role of Santa with his chair fixed to be a sleigh for a mash up of  _Up On The Housetop_  and  _Santa Claus is Coming to Town_. Now they all looked expectantly at Blaine.

He awkwardly cleared his throat and looked down at the ground before focusing mostly on Kurt and voicing his idea. " _Baby It's Cold Outside_. It's the perfect duet for the concert, and it's an opportunity to totally mess with the hetero-normative. I mean… Kurt's voice is perfect for the traditionally female part, and I kind of performed the male part last Christmas at Six Flags' Holiday in the Park, so…" His cheeks felt hot, but the grin that was growing on Kurt's face gave Blaine some courage.

"That would be  _perfect_! But… Blaine, are you sure you're comfortable with it? I mean, that's kind of a… um… I mean, that song is a little… intimate?" Now Kurt was blushing and the rest of the club seemed intent on leaving the two of them to figure this whole thing out, so Blaine took a deep breath and moved to the front of the room, muttering something to Brad rather than taking a seat at the piano himself. He wanted to really put his all into getting the message right this time, so he didn't want to get distracted by playing the right notes.

He cleared his throat to speak before the song took over the room. He had something he needed to say first. "So, this is gonna seem totally over the top, but, well… that's kind of your style, Kurt, so it seems fitting. Um… I hope the rest of you guys won't like… hate me for not telling you the whole truth about myself or something… but…" He was babbling now, so he shut up and nodded to the band and Brad, starting the performance that would either make him super happy or so embarrassed he'd never leave his bedroom after he got home.

 

_"I don't want a lot for Christmas_

_There is just one thing I need_

_I don't care about the presents_

_Underneath the Christmas tree,_

_I just want you for my own_

_More than you could ever know_

_Make my wish come true, oh,"_

 

Blaine walked up to where Kurt was sitting, practically gaping at the raven-haired singer, and got down on his knees before him, looking up into those gorgeous blue eyes.

_"All I want for Christmas is you!"_

Brittany, Santana, and Quinn had gotten up and were singing backing vocals for him as he continued, still on his knees, hands out and grasping Kurt's as the pale boy pretty much clung to those hands like a lifeline. He looked so overwhelmed, but he was smiling too, so Blaine kept going, feeling his own cheeks burn with his blush and the pull of his own grin.

 

_"I won't ask for much this Christmas_

_I won't even wish for snow,_

_(and I_ , the girl's cooed, swaying and snapping their fingers)

_I just wanna keep on waiting_

_Underneath the mistletoe,"_

 

At that line, Kurt licked his lips, and Blaine felt his heart beating double time. This was actually working. It looked like Kurt felt for him the same way Blaine did and… Blaine was pretty sure he was about to have a boyfriend at McKinley and he'd never been so excited about the idea of asking someone out and having them say 'yes'.

 

_"I just want you here tonight_

_Holding on to me so tight,_

_What more can I do?_

_Baby all I want for Christmas is you"_

 

He pulled Kurt up with him then as he got off his knees, dragging the other boy to the center of the room and dancing in a sped up version of a slow-dance, happiness warming him to the core as he watched the smile split Kurt's face, cheeks pulled up so far that his eyes were barely even open.

_"All I want for Christmas is you…"_

The song ended and Blaine stood there for a second before Kurt practically jumped into his arms, a happy squeal passing through his lips as he clung to Blaine. "So, does that mean you'll go out with me?" he asked, voice partially muffled by Kurt's shoulder.

The rest of the Glee club was a mixture of extremely happy faces, slightly confused expressions, and all-out cheering. It was so weird to come out like this and not have anyone look angry or negative in the least. Weird, but also utterly amazing. Blaine really did have a family in these people, more than he had at home for sure. He'd never imagined he would ever feel this… loved. He was so happy he barely heard Kurt's breathless "Yes!" in his ear before their lips were crashing together and everything else became a blur.

* * *

 

The next day was Friday and they had exactly one week before the concert, which would be the day before the Christmas and New Years break. The Glee club had agreed to keep the new relationship between Kurt and Blaine quiet, since Blaine still wasn't quite ready to come out to the whole school, even if he  _was_  ready to sing a risque duet with his boyfriend that next week. They all agreed it would be a great 'screw you' for the narrow-minded jocks, and they were more than ready to play body-guards for the new couple.

That morning found Blaine being tossed into the dumpster only to land with an 'oof' on top of an already tossed Kurt, who groaned at the sudden weight on his body. "This is not exactly the morning hello I was expecting, boyfriend," Kurt muttered, low enough that they would be the only ones to hear. Blaine couldn't hold back the laughter that practically exploded from his lungs, and he gave Kurt a quick peck on the lips before maneuvering himself over the side of the dumpster and pulling Kurt out after him.

"At least it gave us some unexpected time together?" Blaine offered, brushing the snow off of his boyfriend and making sure neither of them had any trash on them. The dumpsters were surprisingly clean most mornings, which was pretty convenient. The cold temperatures meant they didn't even smell of garbage, so only their coats really needed discarded. Of course, that would just have to be done in the building because it was too cold to leave the garments in their cars.

Kurt rolled his eyes at Blaine, giving his hand a squeeze before dropping it and leading their way into the school building. Even if they were hiding their relationship from the rest of the school, it still felt pretty damn fantastic to know he had an actual  _boyfriend_  now. Azimio and Karofsky and Rick and… all the other meat-head jocks couldn't do anything to keep him down.

English was spent passing notes, as it usually was, but this time they had a much more flirty vibe about them. Blaine complimented Kurt's long black sweater and tight purple pants, while Kurt told Blaine his red jeans should be illegal for how amazingly they showed off his ass. That one had the shorter boy red in the face and looking around awkwardly before he slid his response back.

_You can't just say things like that, Kurt!_

Kurt stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth, licking the corner of his lips so that Blaine could see, which only made Blaine squirm more in his seat. They'd only been dating less than twenty-four hours and the brunette already knew how to get under Blaine's skin.

_Well then, maybe you shouldn't just wear things like that. You can't expect me to behave myself here, Blaine. I mean, I've been thinking about kissing you again since Halloween!_

He actually had to hold back a groan when he read that one. Kurt was going to be the death of him, Blaine was sure of it. And on his tombstone they'd write 'killed by incredibly attractive boyfriend and his damn  _words_ '. Not wanting to continue on the path to ruin and inevitably inappropriate hard-ons in the middle of class, Blaine scribbled a new note and passed it to his boyfriend.

_Come over today after school? I want to make you dinner and maybe we could watch a movie?_

His parents were actually not away on business, but they had some kind of dinner party that evening and wouldn't be home from the time he got in from school to some ridiculously late hour of the night, so it would be a good night for a date in. It wasn't that he wanted to do anything inappropriate that would necessitate parents not being home, but it would be nice to just be… alone with Kurt. To be able to kiss him and cuddle with him on the couch while they watched whichever movie they decided on. It would be nice to make him dinner and really woo the boy he, dare he say it, loved.

_Yeah, definitely. I'll call my dad at lunch and make sure he's okay with me skipping Friday dinner. I'm pretty sure he'll understand since I gushed about you all last night. ;)_

Kurt  _gushed about him_  to his dad? Wow. Blaine definitely had a ridiculously happy expression on his face, and it stayed in place all through the day. It was still in place when Kurt spoke to his dad on the phone while they stood out by their cars, putting off their lunch for a good fifteen minutes while Kurt solidified their plans and then pulled Blaine into the backseat of the Navigator to make out.

The happy grin was still in place when he got shoved into his locker before Glee club, and it was still in place when he stumbled into the room with a slight limp from where his hip had hit one of the combination locks. He shrugged off Santana's offer to go 'Lima Heights' on Azimio, and he just sat there beside Kurt until it was time to practice their duet, which was filled with so much honesty that Tina kept having to wipe her eyes.

* * *

 

After school, Kurt followed Blaine to the large house that somehow managed to feel like a home when the brunette or their mutual friends were inside. This fact that he finally felt at home in his own house was kind of sad, but also pretty happy, because Blaine never thought that would be the case. He had a home now, wherever Kurt was.

The two strolled to the door and into the house, hand in hand, happy smiles on their faces. Blaine set his satchel down near the stairs before leading Kurt to the kitchen. He still wasn't sure what he was making them for dinner, so he figured getting his boyfriend's input on the menu might not be a bad thing.

"I must say, I make a mean pesto chicken with risotto, if you like that sort of thing," he said, finding the necessary herbs in the fridge along with already prepped chicken breasts. The glowing look in Kurt's eyes told him that the taller boy was definitely interested in Blaine's dinner idea, so he pulled out the necessary ingredients with a grin.

Kurt cleared his throat and gave Blaine a pointed look. "You can cook. Why didn't you say anything when I took over your kitchen at Thanksgiving?" One perfect brow was arched at Blaine, and Kurt's foot was tapping the floor, managing to make little tapping noises despite the soft sock covering it.

"It's really not a big deal, Kurt. You were really into it and I… I kinda liked the idea that you wanted to cook for me and stuff. I mean… nobody ever does that. For me." He shot a sheepish glance at his boyfriend, whose face had softened at Blaine's explanation. "I don't really get to do this stuff for anyone but myself, though, so I kinda wanted to treat you tonight. If that's okay."

His answer came in the form of a soft, sweet kiss from Kurt, and an offer to stir the risotto or whatever other assistance he could offer. Blaine was so happy, and his smile was mirrored on Kurt's face. By the time the meal was cooked and devoured, they'd managed to feed each other from their forks and were playfully wiping suds from the kitchen sink on each other's faces.

Once they finished playing and actually did the dishes, the two made their way to the living room where Blaine opened a door on the entertainment center and showed Kurt his collection of movies. "What are you in the mood for?" He asked, sitting on the floor beside his boyfriend to peruse the selection.

It wasn't very surprising when Kurt pulled out a few Disney movies and grinned at him. "Lion King or Little Mermaid first? I'm sorry, but I always imagined singing along to Disney movies with my own personal Disney prince. You, Blaine Anderson, are quite the prince charming." He batted his lashes at Blaine, which led to a chaste kiss on the lips from the so-called prince, who snatched The Lion King from his boyfriend and slid the DVD into the player.

"Come cuddle on the couch with your prince?" Blaine cooed, tugging Kurt over to the chilly leather couch before grabbing a plush blanket off the back of it and pulling it around them. "You know, some people would call this too fast, but I really don't care. I love you, Kurt Hummel. I'd be honored to be the prince charming in your happy ever after." Despite the cheesiness of the statement, both boys were blushing and leaned in for a much less-chaste kiss. The opening Swahili of their movie was ignored in favor of exploring each other's mouth, and that was fine by Blaine.


	8. Chapter 8

When Kurt invited him to lunch Saturday, Blaine had no idea what he might be subjected to. He was pretty sure he'd left a bruise on his boyfriend's neck when he'd gotten bored waiting for that annoying 'Morning Report' song to end (whoever decided to add to the Lion King when it came out on DVD was seriously deranged) and he wasn't sure how well Kurt had managed to keep it hidden at home. Sure, it was scarf weather and Kurt usually wore layers and everything anyway, but what about when he was just hanging out at the house? Surely he'd be seen in his pajamas, and then they'd notice, and then Burt Hummel would murder Blaine.

So, when he entered the house around eleven o'clock, Blaine wasn't exactly expecting the tall, slightly large, more than slightly intense man to be… beaming at him? "Hey, kiddo, you must be the boyfriend my son won't shut up about. I told Kurt it would be a hell of a lot easier if you just came over so I could meet you instead of him trying to explain everything about you to me in great detail."

Blaine gulped, then thrust out his hand and forced his voice to come out, even if it was a bit rough. "H-hello Mr. Hummel. I'm Blaine. Blaine Anderson. It's um… great to meet you. Um… Kurt's really talked that much about me?" The last bit he just couldn't hold in, and he actually squeaked when his boyfriend's dad pulled him by the extended hand into a gruff half-hug which ended with a hard pat on the back.

"It's Burt, son. Nobody calls me Mr. Hummel. It makes me sound way too close to my age." The man winked at Blaine.  _Winked_  at him. If his own father ever winked at him, or at anyone really, he'd think the world was ending. This man was… Well, honestly, he was pretty much as amazing as his son. It was no wonder Kurt was the man he was if this was his role model.

Just as Blaine was thinking this family was too good to be true, Finn came bolting down the stairs, followed closely by a wide-eyed Kurt. "OH MY GOD, FINN, SHUT UP!" It was half-shriek, half-growl and had both Burt and Blaine staring at the pair of boys with odd expressions of concern and amusement. Burt's eyes basically said 'oh no, what now?' while Blaine was pretty sure he was gaping at the pair and hoping Kurt wasn't seriously chasing his step-brother, who was clutching a scarf which was definitely not doing its job of covering the bruise on Kurt's neck.  _Shit_.

"Yes! He is here, I knew I heard Blaine's voice! Oh my god,  _dude_ , are you like, a vampire or something? I mean, seriously!" Finn's voice sounded, and Blaine closed his eyes in an attempt to steel himself for whatever was to come. Why did Finn Hudson exist? Sometimes he was wonderful, really, especially when he tried to keep the jocks from reigning terror on the school, but sometimes he was such a… brother.

Burt shot both Blaine and Finn looks before his eyes settled on Kurt. Or, more accurately, Kurt's neck. Why did his boyfriend have to have such fair skin? If he wasn't so damn pale they might have been able to hide it at least a little bit, but Blaine could tell Kurt had even tried using some concealer and it was  _still_  so obvious you'd have to blind to miss the hickey on his neck. He was going to die. This was it. First and last time meeting his boyfriend's father, since Burt Hummel was going to kill him now.

"Kurt, you remember that conversation we had, right?" Burt asked, ignoring the other boys while Finn kept staring in wonder at Blaine. Whatever cryptic point he was making wasn't so cryptic to Kurt, as the boy turned scarlet and nodded at his dad. "I'm trusting you, kid. Think I owe you as much, since you've never given any reason not to, but if you forget that conversation… Or if anybody needs a similar one…" Burt's eyes fell on Blaine, who wasn't sure what exactly they were talking about but felt the need to blush anyway. "I'm not afraid to say it again. Got it?"

At that, Kurt nodded again and came the rest of the way down the stairs while Burt snatched the scarf out of Finn's hands and tossed it to his son. "Go help your mother with lunch, Finn. And don't pretend you've never been smacked by Rachel when you got carried away. I have ears, kid."

Blaine blinked as Finn blushed and tromped off to the kitchen to help his mom, Burt shaking his head at his retreating form. Kurt smiled even though he was still blushing heavily. "Thanks, dad," he muttered, which made Burt give him a small hug and shake his head at the pair that were left in their entryway.

"I meant that about trusting you, son. And I'm trusting you too, Anderson. Don't make me regret it, okay? And…  _try_  to be a little more discreet. You know Finn will only get more obnoxious, and I can only handle so much of his squealing." The man winked again, which had Blaine both confused and impressed at the same time. It seemed he wasn't seen as some bad influence, nor was he judged for his sexuality or anything like that here. Once again, he was at home with Kurt, and he'd never felt happier.

* * *

Blaine was pretty sure Carole liked him, and Burt actually pointed out that Kurt's skin was as sensitive as his mother's had been, which meant he kind of expected plenty of awkward bruises. He'd said something about how Kurt couldn't ever hide the bruises from those jerks at school either thanks to his genetics, which made Kurt grumble.

Finn had shut up after the Rachel comment from Burt, and they'd moved on pretty quickly to him asking Blaine if he played video games and inviting him to join the guys later that night for some old school Halo battles. It seemed Mike, Puck, and Artie were coming over and Puck was bringing his Xbox so they'd have plenty of room for Blaine to join. He'd agreed only if Kurt would also join, and the brunette grudgingly agreed, saying that Finn and Puck weren't allowed to get mad at him when he killed them over and over by mashing buttons.

Hours later, Kurt's scarf was being tugged on by an angry Puck who seemed to decide that strangling him might mess up his button mashing enough that he wouldn't be kicking so much ass. Blaine was literally rolling on the floor laughing, while Artie yelled about his teammates abandoning him since now Mike and Finn had open shots at the lone member of the Artie-Puck-Blaine team.

Kurt, not wanting to actually get strangled, had to release the knot of his scarf, which led to Puck falling over gracelessly, which only made Blaine laugh harder. At least, until Artie let out a whistle and Puck perked up to stare at the exposed skin. "Oh, for the love of… Yes. I have a hickey. No, Blaine is not a fucking vampire, Finn," Kurt snapped, grabbing for the scarf that Puck had wedged under his ass instead of giving back. "Fine. No scarf. I'll still kick your ass. Especially if you're going to be that distracted." As if to prove his point, Kurt took aim and pushed the button to shoot Puck's player right in the head.

That seemed to wake the mohawked boy up from his daze, and he cursed at Kurt before getting back into the game, sparing a fist bump for a confused looking Blaine in the process. Kurt just rolled his eyes and resumed button mashing, killing Finn, who was his own teammate, which only made Blaine fall back over in his default position of ridiculous amounts of laughter.

* * *

 

On Monday, Kurt had his scarf knotted about his neck and threw his best bitch-glare at Puck upon entering the school, which made Blaine giggle at his locker. Oh god. He was  _giggling_. These guys were going to out him just by making him react to their ridiculousness! He shook his head at the supposed badass before closing his own locker and wandering a bit closer to Kurt's.

"Morning, boyfriend," he said so softly it was barely a breath of air between them, but Kurt heard. His mouth twitched at the corners even as he rolled his bright blue eyes at Blaine.

"Morning yourself. You're going to get yourself into trouble, Blaine." He probably had a point. Blaine had never been very good at 'subtle' after all. "I'd rather not have to peel your broken face off the gym floor before Glee, so can you try not to make Karofsky attempt murder? Please? The guys aren't in your PE class with him." And if Kurt batted his eyes a little at his boyfriend, Blaine wasn't going to call him on it. Nope. He'd just behave to the best of his ability to ease the other boy's mind.

Once Kurt was done in his locker, the two of them wandered to English together. Just another boring day at McKinley. If he happened to smile a bit more that day, or checked his phone for texts more often (which was good since Kurt was texting him little hearts and random compliments all day) well… you'd have that when a first date was still clear in a boy's mind.

* * *

 

The week went by without much fuss, especially considering it was the last chance for teachers to sneak in quizzes and big assignments before break. Kurt and Blaine had paired up for a big English project, which they'd work on together over the holiday. They'd practiced their duet enough to know they would knock the socks off the school on Friday. Rachel had permission from her dads to have another house party right after the early dismissal on Friday, the two of them planning to go out for a romantic dinner and a show at a theatre in Columbus for the evening. It would be much like Halloween, only Blaine could spend the whole time drunkenly kissing Kurt without worrying about it.

All in all, it was shaping up to be a great break, so Blaine didn't even get too upset when Karofsky tripped him in PE on Wednesday and he skidded across the gym floor, running face first into another guy's shoe and busting his lip, jarring his nose enough that it also started to bleed.

He showed up to Glee about ten minutes late with gauze shoved up the left side of his nose and a piece held to his mouth, not even having been able to put the material down long enough to change his clothes. He waved off the concern of Mr. Schue and Rachel immediately, but he couldn't stop Kurt from screaming, leaping up from his chair, and demanding to know what the hell happened and if he was okay. It was sweet, really, even if he did tug on the gauze too quickly and open his lip again.

"I'm fine. I'm  _fine_ , Kurt, seriously. I just fell and happened to land in one of the worst ways possible," he explained, trying his best not to spray blood when his lips touched. He knew he looked horrible, though. Blood was all down the front of him since he was still in his grey tank and sweats. (It was too cold for shorts, even if every jock thought that was crazy talk.) "I don't even think it was a purposeful trip this time. Usually it's a little more obviously deliberate and involves smacking into a wall in some painful and awkward way…"

The look of horror on his boyfriend's face told Blaine that he shouldn't really have voiced that thought aloud, but it was done now. No sense trying to cover the statement up, right? "You are impossible. Just… make your face stop bleeding before Glee ends so you can change and look less like the victim in a horror movie."

At that, the rest of the club started working on the numbers for the Christmas concert that weren't Kurt and Blaine's duet, while Blaine sat to the side nursing his wounds. Tina kept checking on him after every song and every time they stopped for someone to pick at some flaw in the performance, and Santana muttered something about teaching Karofsky a lesson, which Puck tried to team up with her about. It was strange in such a good way, knowing people had Blaine's back and not having to worry so much. He felt… taken care of. It was a very warm feeling, and he found he was growing rather fond of it.

He was growing even more fond of the boy who'd stolen his heart, especially when said boy told Finn to go ahead home without him (even though they'd come together today and Finn was Kurt's ride) and he'd catch a ride with Blaine. Kurt had pretty much dragged his boyfriend to the locker room and tenderly removed the gauze from his nose and mouth, checking that no fresh blood sprouted up and nodded his pleasure at it having stopped.

"Okay, strip, shower, leave me to stain duty," he commanded, reaching out a hand expectantly for Blaine's clothing. Blaine, though, just squeaked and stared at Kurt. "Come  _on_ , Blaine. Blood is hard enough to get out when it hasn't had a ton of time to set in. Give me your clothes and go wash up. You smell like copper and it's really disturbing."

Apparently the boy didn't find anything wrong with demanding that his boyfriend strip, which made Blaine giggle. Again with the damn _giggling_. "Dammit, Kurt, stop making me do that! Fucking giggling… I swear…" He yanked his stained shirt off and gave it a look before throwing a similar one at Kurt. "Can you really get that out?"

The brunette just rolled his eyes and snatched the material from Blaine's hand, sparing an appreciative look for his exposed chest and abs. "I can get out stains from old ladies' nightmares, sweetie. And apparently you  _do_  swear. Potty mouth." He huffed when Blaine got his sweatpants off and took them with a slight pout. "I swear, next time you strip for me it had better be for a much better reason, Blaine." He was blushing, but he still sounded so bossy Blaine could only laugh.

Kurt Hummel was completely and utterly adorable. That was the only way to honestly describe him. Blaine was still chuckling a bit as he turned toward the showers, pulling off his boxers and tossing them over his shoulder without much care, giving Kurt an eyeful of his perky ass. The appreciative whistle that followed him to the shower was definitely  _not_  the cause of Blaine's blush. It was just the heat of the shower that made him flushed. Nothing more to the story.

* * *

 

The concert started with Rachel belting out  _O Holy Night_  to a mixture of applause and obnoxious yawning. It wasn't that much of a surprise, really, so they simply enjoyed the fact that the applause was indeed there and moved right along. The next song was the duet, then they'd finish with the mash up, which Artie and the girls were already dressed for.

Blaine wasn't sure what to expect as he waited for the music to progress to Kurt's cue. He'd been called a 'fag' more in the last couple weeks than he had since… well, since his Freshman year, honestly, but it really wasn't bothering him. Which could have been seen as weird pretty easily, but he didn't read it that way. Blaine wasn't as bothered by the insults because he was finally confident in himself and his life. He had found Kurt. He found his happiness and love and acceptance. It was one hell of an ego and mood booster.

So, it was with confidence that Blaine took the stage with his boyfriend, still not saying he was gay, but no longer denying it either. People could say whatever they wanted about him. Blaine didn't really care, as long as he had the Glee kids. He had a family here now, and nobody could take that away from him.

Kurt's grin matched his as they took the stage and started dancing around each other in a flirty little cat-and-mouse game. Blaine put up a good argument against the cold outdoors while Kurt slowly caved to his influence, and the two didn't even care about the gasps and whispers stirring in the audience. They only had eyes for each other, challenging themselves to make this their very best performance, and putting on quite the show if their friends' faces were anything to go by.

There was more quiet muttering than applause when the two boys finished. There were some 'boos' and somebody yelled about the 'fucking homos' which had Coach Sylvester blowing her cheerleading whistle and threatening whoever it was with a lifetime of detentions when, not if, she figured out who they were.

Despite all that ruckus, Kurt was all smiles and each of the guys gave him a fist bump when he got backstage. Blaine, of course, gave him a giant hug. Nobody could see them in the hidden area of the wings, so he took liberties to show how much he cared. So sue him.

The final piece of their show went well, even if there was some jeering about the reindeer's 'racks' which had Santana not-so-subtly flipping the bird while she sang about Santa always watching. Guess she was okay with getting coal this year.

After the show, they went back to the choir room to change and get cleaned up before Rachel instructed everyone to show up at her place in about an hour. They all went their own ways, though Blaine didn't go all the way back home. He just spent the hour at Kurt's house, where he left his car for the evening, an unspoken promise that they would spend at least Saturday together, if he didn't end up spending the night so they had the whole weekend with each other. But really, would he ever pass up the chance to spend an entire weekend with Kurt?


	9. Chapter 9

Blaine couldn't help but grin like a loon when Rachel let them in and he and Kurt strolled to the basement hand-in-hand. It was so nice to not have to hide for a while. For a whole couple of weeks, really. That simple fact had him so giddy he couldn't even let the inevitable hang over of tomorrow loom over his head.

They got down to the party area and Kurt spotted Puck at the bar, already mixing a vodka-sprite while a bottle of what Blaine thought was Budweiser sat open and full beside the quickly filling solo cup. "Looks like we're being forced into drinking again. I'll go grab our drinks and try to convince Noah not to repeat that truth about how far I've gone this time."

Kurt winked at him and pecked him on the lips before striding over to the bar and giving Puck a pointed glare. Maybe it would be better if neither of them took a truth from Puckerman that night. Not that a dare from him would be much better, really. Maybe they wouldn't have to answer to him at all? Somehow that seemed very unlikely, and Blaine gulped a bit as his boyfriend tromped back over to him, thrusting the beer into his hands before downing a good half of his own drink in a couple gulps.

"Better get tipsy fast. That only made him more interested in the 'dirty details' of our relationship, as he put it. And he promised that as soon as everybody gets here he's starting the games. Apparently the idea of starting in the afternoon just means we get to play even  _more_ stupid party games, who would have guessed?" Kurt's sarcasm was thick and his bitch-face was in place, which only made Blaine snort in laughter. Which, in turn, made Kurt throw his patented glare at his boyfriend before punching him lightly in the arm.

Finn came down the stairs a few minutes later with an incredulous look on his face, staring at Kurt like he had three heads or something. "Dude! What the hell? I thought we were riding together! You even said we were and told Blaine to park behind me." His face of confused frustration turned on Blaine then, which made the much shorter boy squeak softly. "You blocked me in, man. I had to call Mike and get him to pick me up on his way. I had to run in here to get away from him and Tina sucking face over the center console!"

Okay, that time the laugh wasn't just a snort. Blaine practically fell over as he held his gut, especially when Kurt's lips curled into an amused little smirk. "Sorry, Finn. Guess I just forgot about your inability to get yourself to your own girlfriend's house. Really, I kind of thought you'd have come over earlier, but it is what it is, right? You can sit in back and watch me and Blaine make out instead tomorrow, okay?" Blue eyes flashed in a way that made Blaine's pants uncomfortably tight, and he squeaked again. So articulate.

"DUDE!" Finn freaked out a little, while Kurt rolled his eyes at his step-brother and dragged Blaine over to the couch where they could join Mercedes. The muttering didn't stop until Finn was in a chugging contest with Puck, who seemed determined to get his best friend wasted so the rest of them could have more fun. When exactly did Finn become the designated wet blanket anyway?

A red faced Tina and very happy looking Mike strolled down to the gathering next, followed shortly by Quinn and Rachel who were both laden down with munchies and more substantial snacks. They were starting this a bit early, after all, so it only made sense to have food with their copious amounts of alcohol.

"Let's get this shindig going, shall we?" Artie called before pushing a button on the stereo and filling the room with some dance music that was catchy but not overly distinguishable. Brittany took the opportunity to drag Santana to the middle of the room and start dancing, which led to Tina and Mike doing the same and showing them up rather decently. Before Blaine knew it, he was being tugged to the middle of the room by a belt loop.

One of his favorite things about Kurt were his hips. They were just… mmm. They were so talented and sexy and,  _god_ , the way he could move that lithe body had Blaine biting his bottom lip, grinding against his boyfriend with reckless abandon. Their bodies snaked together, gliding and moving in sinful ways that made Santana wolf-whistle while Mercedes clapped and Rachel gaped. Quinn and Puck both looked amused, and Finn seemed to be hiding behind another hastily chugged beer. It was a good day so far.

Puck's voice sounded and the music got a bit quieter. "Alright, alright! Let's stop the foreplay on the dance floor and get to the good part. It's game time!" He grabbed the empty bottle Finn had just finished and brought it and the quarterback to the middle of the room where everyone else had dropped to sit in a circle. Blaine was leaning against Kurt, both of them flushed and panting from their dancing. Brittany sat in Santana's lap until she was informed that she had to sit beside her so the bottle could land on either of them.

All eyes looked expectantly at Puck, who laughed before setting the bottle in the center and clearing his throat. "So. Today we have a few games to play. Since we're all much too sober right now, we're not using the bottle just yet. So get your grubby mitts off it, Berry," he snapped, and Rachel pulled her hand back and pouted like a scolded child. "Right now, we're gonna play Never Have I Ever. We'll just go around the circle. Say something you haven't done, then whoever has done it has to drink. If anybody needs to refresh their beverages, I suggest you do so now."

Quite a few of them got up to refill their drinks, Blaine mixing another for Kurt and grabbing another beer for himself even though he had a little left in his bottle still. He'd finish that with the first 'Never' that he'd done. He received a kiss on the cheek upon returning, and once everyone else was settled, Puck resumed with his statement.

"Never have I ever given a blow job."

A few things happened at once. First, all three Cheerios shot glares at Puck before drinking- most likely because he was the one they'd each blown. Next, Rachel pouted because she couldn't drink, Finn returned the pout because he was dating her, Mercedes shook her head, Artie rolled his eyes, Tina sipped and hoped nobody noticed, and Kurt and Blaine both turned red and drank. Of course, everyone noticed them setting their drinks back down and swallowing the mouths full of alcohol, which had Puck and Santana both repeating the ' _damn Anderson_ 's from last time.

Rachel looked even sadder now, since she was apparently the only one with a boyfriend who hadn't done anything remotely sexual yet. Finn, on the other hand, looked completely shocked. He was practically catatonic, which had Kurt crawling across the circle to wave in front of his face.

"Finn? Earth to Finn, come in Finn." He growled.  _Growled_. That was new and sexy and Blaine really should have worn looser pants today. "Oh my god, honestly Finn, you'd think nobody else took a fucking drink. I have a  _boyfriend_ , genius. What did you expect we did?"

That seemed to wake the quarterback up, because he shook his head and opened and closed his mouth a few times before he could comment. "But… I have a  _girlfriend_  and we don't do that!" He sputtered, which made Rachel blush in her sadness and had Santana cackling.

"Oh, poor, poor Finnegan. Man-hands doesn't do anything for you, huh? That's just sad. Okay, my turn!" Whoever sat her and Puck beside each other probably needed slapped. This could only lead to terrible things. "Never have I ever had anal sex!"

Blaine was pretty sure choking on beer was one of the more painful things that had happened to him by his own hand. It got up his nose and it  _burned_  and why was he even drinking in between statements? It wasn't like these stupid games wouldn't get him drunk soon enough. Either way, he was coughing and sputtering so much that Mike slapped him on the back a few times while Kurt laughed at him. Such a sweet, caring boyfriend he had.

"What's that?" Brittany asked and Santana leaned over to explain it to her, after which the girl took a drink and smiled obliviously. The only other person to drink was Puck, who glared so intensely that nobody wanted to even go there. Kurt and Blaine's drinks remained untouched. They were seriously thankful that they hadn't gotten that far yet.

Puck made a comment about having a better idea of how far 'his gays' had gone before Brittany took her turn. "Never have I ever been in the mafia!" Everyone blinked at her and Santana glared at them all.

"Sweetie, it's supposed to be something you think someone else in the room has done," she said kindly, to which Brittany replied that she was pretty sure Artie was involved in 'the business' and that he was lying by not drinking. Everyone blinked again, until Finn took his turn.

"Never have I ever been high," he said, grinning at Puck who just shrugged and tilted back his beer. Surprisingly, Blaine and Artie both took drinks as well. Artie said something about Stoner Brett giving him some brownies to 'ease his pain' even though he'd told the guy he wan't in pain just because he was in a wheelchair. Blaine told them the game wasn't called twenty questions, and instructed Rachel to take her turn.

Rachel's statement was dreadfully boring: "Never have I ever dropped a note." Which had Kurt rolling his eyes as every single other person, including him, drank. Of course, the countertenor muttered about the  _Defying Gravity_  incident being on purpose, which made Rachel huff, and Quinn decided to just take her turn so the two biggest divas would shut up already.

She cleared her throat dramatically before giving Kurt a pointed look. "Never have I ever had a crush on my brother." This only led to more angry muttering as the brunette took a sip of his drink. Blaine made a mental note to ask about that sometime in the near future, then the game moved on to Mercedes.

Apparently there was a silent agreement that it was time to torture Kurt, because she got a glint in her eyes before she spoke and Blaine noticed his boyfriend groaning even before he processed what had been said. "Never have I ever dressed in a unitard and performed  _Single Ladies_."

"I hate you so much. Tina, Brittany, you two had better be drinking right now." There was that growl again, and now Blaine had even more he needed to ask his boyfriend about. The mental pictures were getting a little ridiculous, so he shifted where he sat and tried to focus on Artie, who was right next to him. Which meant it was almost his turn. Great.

The 'make Kurt angry' trend was continuing as Artie leaned back in his chair, giving the brunette a once over. "Never have I ever worn flannel." Blaine nearly fell over at Kurt's crimson cheeks and the noise that came from somewhere in his throat. He couldn't even imagine the story that went with that, and barely noticed when Finn, Puck, and Brittany all drank.

Bright blue eyes stared pleadingly at him when Blaine opened his mouth to take his turn, and he almost felt bad for intending to go along with the teasing. It was fun, though, and Kurt was getting  _so_  drunk because of it and he was such a touchy-feely drunk, too… "Sorry, babe," he muttered before saying a bit louder "never have I ever used a whole can of hairspray in one day."

Nobody else drank, again, and Kurt threw his best bitch-face at Blaine. He couldn't help but giggle at the taller boy, though. It was just too funny! And nobody needed that much hairspray. Now it was Kurt's turn, though, which could only be bad for all of the rest of them. Or at least Blaine. He was sure he wouldn't get away with the teasing like the others might.

"Never have I ever given road-head." Puck cheered, Finn swore and covered his ears, Santana took a drink then made a comment about her 'innocent Lady Hands' being all grown up. Blaine was too busy taking a larger and longer drink than necessary to notice all the reactions. He clearly needed to catch up with Kurt if he was going to compete in this embarrassing people contest. Seriously, this game sucked. Whoever invented it was a Sadist.

Mike took a turn next, saying he'd never  _received_  road head, which had Kurt rolling his eyes as he and Puck both drank. So many of their group hadn't done much of anything… it was kind of sad, really.

"Never have I ever… um… gone commando?" She shrugged, not really knowing if that was good or not, which just made Mike laugh and hug her. Puck drank, Santana and Brittany both drank, Finn surprisingly drank, and Kurt drank. Blaine knew this was coming, but he didn't expect the amused squeals from Rachel and Mercedes.

Rachel was the one to explain as she pointed accusingly at Kurt. "We so called that! Me and Mercedes both said there was no way you could fit underwear in most of those tight freakin' pants you wear!" She fell against Finn, laughing, and Kurt just rolled his eyes at her.

"Oh, yes, you two are just regular old geniuses. Can we play a new game now? We've gone through the whole circle now so nobody can complain they didn't get a turn." The look he shot Puck said that if the jock didn't change games, Kurt would throw something at his head, so Puck agreed and they moved on to truth or dare.

* * *

"No! Bottle, don't spin  _me_  you stupid thing! Oh my god, why do I have the worst luck in the whole world?" Kurt's words were slightly slurred now, and his head fell into his hands, which rested on his folded knees. Puck had just spun after admitting the oldest woman he'd had sex with was in her forties. Of course, that bottle had decided to land on Kurt. Because he really needed a truth or dare from Puckerman.

Earlier, Artie had been dared to chuck a solo cup full of a little bit of every liquor they had behind the bar (he'd still not puked, which was pretty impressive), Blaine had divulged the story of his getting high (at a Warbler party where they all decided they'd never done anything very exciting and got a joint from Nick's older brother- it had just led to a lot of junk food and tummy aches in the morning), and Rachel had been dared to give Finn a proper blowjob since she still hadn't, which she refused to do, so she had to put her panties on his head like a hat instead.

Puck's grin was positively evil as he wiggled his brows at his victim. "Alright, Hummel. Truth or dare?" Blaine had no idea what was coming, but he was sure it wouldn't be anything good or halfway decent, so he grabbed his bottle and drank. The beer was a little warm and unappetizing, but he was drunk, so it didn't matter that much. At least he was making his brain a little more numb.

"Argh, either one is a death sentence with you, Noah," Kurt mumbled, still slurring a little before taking a gulp of liquid courage. "Fine, just give me a fucking dare. Finn, you probably want to close your eyes and cover your ears before your best friend ruins life for you."

Puck just rolled his eyes and waved Finn's hands away from his ears. "Stop being so dramatic. This won't be  _that_  scarring." His lips curled into a grin as he sat back, relaxing on his elbows on the floor. "I dare you to do your  _Single Ladies_  routine for us. Just for the nostalgia, you know."

Kurt blinked. "Wow, Noah. I didn't think you even knew what 'nostalgia' meant. I'd be impressed if you didn't just dare me to do the dumbest thing in the history of things." He was growling again. Blaine's pants were very aware of this fact, since they'd just gotten even tighter. He groaned and shifted, only for Kurt to give him a look.

Somehow the brunette was convinced that he had to do the dance or he'd get a worse dare he couldn't chicken out of, so he stood up and shrugged off his top layer and tossed his shirt and untied scarf at Puck's face. "Hold those. I'm not going all costume and glitz on you, just so you are aware. You get to experience skinnies and a tank top instead of a unitard and sequined vest. I know you're just  _devastated_ Noah." Blaine was so not devastated.

When the music started and Kurt started singing along, dancing in a sinful, smooth way that was damn impressive given his state of intoxication, Blaine felt his pants get as tight as they could, and he was definitely not comfortable anymore. He couldn't take his eyes off his boyfriend though, especially when he rocked his hips like that. Oh, god. The way he could move that pelvis was just not right. Not when there was nothing Blaine could do about it. Why had they not gone further than blow jobs yet?

Kurt finished his performance with a particularly hard thrust of his hips and everyone cheered. Blaine was slack-jawed staring, so Puck leaned over and whispered in his ear "You're welcome, Anderson," before leaning back on his elbows again and looking proud of himself. Oh damn. Now Blaine needed to do something for Puck to repay him for that  _wonderful_  gift. He also needed to do something about the hard-on that was quickly reaching the point of  _fucking painful_  in his pants.

"Are you okay, Blaine?" Kurt asked, sitting back beside him with a bottle of water. Apparently alcohol was not good for actual thirst. He groaned and tried not to show Kurt just how flustered he was. That didn't work, however, since Kurt had apparently already noticed his bulge and was now teasingly pawing at his lap while the bottle spun its next victim. "You're going to rip the seam in those pants, sweetie," he cooed in Blaine's ear before offering Finn the choice of truth or dare.

* * *

 

The rest of the game went by in a  drunken haze of laughter and cheering. Finn did something ridiculous with Puck, and Kurt got dared to make out with his brother, which he utterly refused to do and instead had to 'act out an orgasm' which meant writhing and moaning on the floor while his face contorted in the same way it did when Blaine sucked him off. That had made Blaine have a little more than just a tightness issue. Now he was uncomfortable for an entirely different reason, which had him untucking his shirt in an attempt to hide the evidence on the front of his pants as he excused himself to the restroom.

Of course, Blaine had been spun soon after that and picked truth, which meant he had to explain why he had been blushing every since Kurt's dare. Santana cackled and Artie almost fell out of his damn wheelchair when Blaine admitted to coming in his pants. Oh, yes, it was just  _hilarious_. Ha fucking ha.

Blaine sulked most of the rest of the game until Kurt got dared to sit in his lap for the rest of the night in order to hide anymore problems his boyfriend might have, which ended up making both of them giggle. They were so wasted. But it was so much fun.

Having gotten bored of the games, finally, and getting rather hungry, the group decided to order some pizzas and put a movie on. Kurt tried to get up from Blaine's lap, but was quickly reminded that his dare required him to stay there  _all night_  so the two of them remained ass-to-crotch as they managed to get up and claim a recliner.

Kurt was really giggling when Blaine put the recliner up and relaxed back into it with him in his lap. The two were quite comfortable and had managed to nod off until the food arrived.

"Noah, you have to bring us pizza!" Kurt demanded, sitting up straight while Blaine remained mostly on his back, which made it pretty much impossible for Blaine to hide his constant arousal of the night. His boyfriend didn't seem to mind, though, since he wiggled his hips in response while grinning at Puck. "I'm not allowed to get up, remember?"

Blaine decided Kurt was quite possibly the most adorable boy he'd ever seen as said boy batted his lashes at Puck, who brought over a plate loaded with pizza for the couple to share. "You're lucky I like you, Hummel," Puck grumbled, settling in on the couch to resume the movie that was already a third of the way in.

Blaine and Kurt hadn't paid much attention to the movie, but they were just fine with that. They'd decided, once they were done eating, that the rule of Kurt being in Blaine's lap hadn't said he couldn't turn around in it, so he had taken to straddling his boyfriend and they'd made out and cuddled instead of paying attention to the rest of the group. Eventually the rest of the party goers started up a game of spin the bottle, but the couple remained in their chair, where they eventually fell asleep in each other's arms.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the smut begin...

At some point in the middle of the night, Blaine had woken up and gently prodded Kurt off of him, only for the boy to follow him upstairs to get some water and advil. They'd stayed up for about half an hour, getting rehydrated and letting the medicine kick in, then they'd gone back to their chair and snuggled up again. Blaine told Kurt he liked his weight while they slept, so the brunette had resumed his position mostly on top of his boyfriend, and that was how they were found in the morning.

The midnight water break had done wonders for Kurt and Blaine. They were both pretty much hangover-free when everybody got up, and that made Finn ridiculously angry while Brittany said it was their magical dolphin powers. Right.

Kurt refused to allow Finn in his car until he was sure the quarterback wouldn't throw up in it, so Blaine had let himself get comfortable helping to make brunch. It was fun working in the kitchen with Kurt- much like Thanksgiving but this time he put in more of his own recipe ideas. They'd put together an impressive cinnamon and nutmeg french toast with hot maple syrup and fresh strawberries, which Blaine cut and sprinkled with sugar so they would make a nice topping for the toast.

The two served the food with fresh hot coffee and orange juice, and Quinn decided they should open up a bed and breakfast together when they got older. It was all actually pretty nice, even if half the group was still feeling sick and Kurt had threatened Finn that if he didn't suck it up and help clean up the wreckage he could just beg his girlfriend to take his lazy ass home.

Everybody eventually finished cleaning and slowly departed with the promise that they'd all go to Blaine's for New Years Eve. He was grinning happily when Finn tried to claim shotgun and Kurt scolded his brother, telling him to get his whiney hungover ass in the back and keep his mouth shut. He then proceeded to give Blaine a pretty dirty kiss over the center console just to make Finn uncomfortable before finally driving them all back to the Hummel-Hudson home.

"Hey, the bowl game just started," Burt greeted them from the living room. Finn grunted and made his way in to the room, plopping in the other armchair in the room that Burt wasn't occupying and looking at the TV. "Toledo's up by a field goal, but it was pretty weak if you ask me."

Blaine followed Finn into the room and pretty much fell into a seated position on the couch, leaning forward to look at the TV as well. "That's just cause Troy sucks. Toledo's a shit team." Kurt just rolled his eyes at his boyfriend and muttered something about how all the men in his life enjoyed football too much. He then curled up on the couch against his boyfriend, the latest copy of Vogue already open in front of him.

It was really a fantastic afternoon. Blaine had never felt more at home and just… loved. Accepted.  _Free_.

* * *

Blaine awoke to a sudden weight over his body, which was curled up under a blanket on the couch that served as his bed when he stayed at Kurt's. Sleepy muttering and wiggling didn't dislodge the weight, so he cracked open his eyes to find Kurt snuggling into him, practically crushing him in the process. "Morning," Blaine croaked, voice stuck in his throat thanks to not being awake yet.

Blue eyes danced with happiness as Kurt leaned in to kiss his nose. "Morning. Wake up and get cleaned up. Carole and I are making omelets and then she's dragging dad out for some last minute Christmas shopping since they both have to work Monday. Finn's been summoned to Rachel's after breakfast, so we'll have the house to ourselves."

The mischievous glint in those eyes made Blaine lick his lips, shoving his boyfriend so that when Blaine sat up, Kurt was in his lap. He leaned in as if to kiss the brunette, then pulled back with a rosy tint on his cheeks. At Kurt's odd look, he shrugged his shoulders and looked away. "Got morning breath…" he muttered, only to have his lips captured by Kurt's.

"Don't care. You're adorable when you're all sleepy and pouffy." He mussed Blaine's almost-fro before grinning and hopping off the couch. "Now go get a shower and brush your teeth, sweetie. Carole will be sad if she doesn't get to feed you."

Blaine shook his head about his hair, but dutifully wandered upstairs to the bathroom, overnight bag in hand. Kurt was already folding up his blankets when he looked back and flashed the taller boy a grin. This place was seriously heaven. Blaine never wanted to not be a part of the Hummel-Hudson dynamic. He was rather fond of his newfound niche.

The kitchen was full of good smells after Blaine's quick shower, and even though he tried to help, he was ordered to sit at the table with Burt and Finn, the latter of which hadn't showered yet so his hair was sticking up in odd angles. Blaine caught Burt's eye and they shared a laugh, while Finn just asked what was funny. He was utterly clueless sometimes…

"You better not be making me a vegetable omelet, Kurt," Burt grumbled, glancing at the stove where his son was busy flipping the first of the egg dishes. "A man needs meat in his meals. I've told you again and again. You gotta watch him, Blaine. He'll try to make you into a damn rabbit if you aren't careful."

Kurt shot a glare over his shoulder, which only made Blaine laugh harder than he'd already started. "It isn't as if I don't eat meat, dad. I mean, I'm not  _Rachel_." That had Finn cracking up, then looking a bit forlorn at the loss of meat whenever he was with his girlfriend. Blaine didn't think he'd ever stop grinning at this house, and it was a bit of a concern since his cheeks were starting to hurt.

Carole brought over two plates while Kurt finished up another omelet and started on the final one. "Here, boys. Kurt made one with all the meats for you, Finn. Extra cheese, too. Burt, you get lean turkey sausage in yours and you had better be happy I convinced him not to add more than spinach and onions as far as vegetables go." Burt did have the decency to thank his wife with a kiss on the cheek before digging in.

"Sit down right now, Carole. I've got the rest," Kurt admonished, carrying two more plates over after taking the pan off the heat and filling a third. He handed the two plates to Carole and Blaine, then fetched his own and came to sit at the table. "I hope I got your order right," he said softly, looking at Blaine.

It was perfect, and Blaine told his boyfriend as much with a mouth full of egg, bacon, veggies, and cheese. That made everyone but Finn laugh, mainly because Blaine and the quarterback looked very similar just then. It was a fun breakfast, full of easy laughter and conversation about plans over break.

"I'm sure your parents have a lovely Christmas dinner, right Blaine?" Carole asked innocently, unaware of how inaccurate she was. The look on Blaine's face made it pretty clear that a big dinner wasn't in the plans, though. He ended up clearing his throat and looking up at the woman across from him, trying not to sound too pathetic.

The truth was, the words were very hard for him to get out. He felt very… unwanted when his parents were away so often and for such big days. He'd never tell them that though. He didn't want them to feel guilty. "Actually, my parents are in Paris for the whole break. They've been there for a few days now, but they're staying at least a month. Some international business endeavor of sorts."

Kurt's hand found his knee and squeezed, which made Blaine look over to see the frown on the other boy's face. He was probably upset that Blaine hadn't told him about this, not to mention the fact that the Andersons had missed Thanksgiving as well.

Burt was the one who broke the silence with a gruff demand. "Well, you'll just be having the Hummel-Hudson holiday experience then, won't you kid?" He grinned and winked at Blaine while the short boy gaped. "Come over Christmas Eve and you can stay the next night, too. Don't need you on the roads with the people who had a few too many at their parties."

He blinked. Then blinked again. Then he looked over at Kurt as if to ask if he'd really just heard what he thought he'd heard. "You don't have to come over if you don't want to…" Kurt said softly, apparently misreading the confused look on Blaine's face.

"No! I want to. I just… Thank you," he looked at Burt with sparkling hazel eyes. "Nobody's ever… I mean… just…  _thank you_." He wiped at his eyes in an effort to avoid embarrassment, and Carole started a conversation about the holiday menu and whether Rachel would be making an appearance or not. She'd need to get something the girl could eat if she was showing up, which made Burt mutter and roll his eyes.

Everything went on like a normal day, but Blaine still had a certain look in his eyes as he ate, a certain skip in his step when he got up to do the dishes, which Kurt helped him with, telling the others to get to their plans for the day. Blaine was so happy he didn't have words for it, and he was even happier when Kurt leaned over and kissed him on the cheek right in front of Burt Hummel, who just smiled and shook his head before going to join his wife in the car.

* * *

 

"I swear I didn't think Finn would ever leave," Kurt muttered as he fell back on his bed with a relieved sigh. "Honestly, how has he not figured out that I wanted some alone time today? I even told him to go spend some 'special time' with his girlfriend. I never refer to Rachel as his girlfriend in a nice way!"

Blaine laughed, then got a great idea and climbed on the bed after Kurt, straddling his someway suspicious looking boyfriend. "We have that alone time now, you know… I can think of much better things to do with it than talk about your brother." He wiggled his thick brows, which made Kurt raise his own.

"Oh can you? And just what devious thoughts might be running through your dapper little brain, hmm? What happened to the innocent pretending-to-be-straight Blaine Anderson who stole my heart?" Oh, Blaine loved it when Kurt teased him. The boy was just so sassy and confident and  _hot_.

He couldn't hold back the groan that Kurt's words brought from him chest. "He opened his eyes and found his balls when he started dating you?" His voice was deep and rough, hazel eyes blown with a mixture of adoration and pure lust. Blaine wasn't sure he'd ever wanted someone as much as he wanted Kurt, and it both scared and excited him. He'd never had a person in his life who he'd felt comfortable enough with to straddle like this, to press his hips into and moan with.

Kurt swore before Blaine dipped his head down and captured the countertenor's lips in a rough kiss. Their hips were crashing together in an almost painful way, but it felt so good. Obvious arousals rubbed together as their hips bucked and gyrated, teeth nipping at lips and tongues, moans and groans and growls filling the bedroom.

"God, Kurt, feels so good…" Blaine murmured, rubbing more pointedly against his boyfriend. Kurt arched his back, stretching his head back and exposing the pale flesh of his neck that just begged to be marked again. The old bruise had faded almost completely at this point, which only made Blaine want to refresh it and add another one or a few.

Hot lips pressed to Kurt's throat, making him moan louder and jerk his hips upward into Blaine. The raven-haired boy took this as incentive and let his lips open on his boyfriend's neck, licking at the flesh before bitting and sucking, running his tongue over it to soothe the skin after each harder nibble. He left a trail of fresh bruises from the front of Kurt's throat near his collar bone all the way up to just below his ear, where he spent more time sucking and licking as Kurt fell apart beneath him.

The thought of removing at least their pants went through Blaine's head, but they were both much too close for such a last-minute idea, so he just breathed heavily on Kurt's throat as they both fell apart within seconds of each other. One climax egging on the other while they softly kept moving their hips until they were both utterly spent.

The room was full of the sound of their panting breaths, the scent of sex and sweat mixing with the overall scent of 'Kurt' that the room always smelled of. Blaine lifted his head from his boyfriend's neck and looked at him, smiling as a grin crossed Kurt's lips. The brunette leaned up and kissed Blaine softly with a tenderness that spoke volumes. He kissed him again and then again, before Blaine finally pulled back and cocked a brow at him.

"We should probably clean up before this problem spreads from underwear to pants. I didn't bring an extra pair and it would be a little hard to go without like I planned to do with my boxers…" He was blushing a bit, but he was also still grinning like a fiend, which had Kurt smiling right back with a soft sigh.

Those blue eyes were so bright Blaine thought he could get lost in them forever. "Fine, fine. I'm comfy though. Can we snuggle after cleaning? I just want to keep touching you…" It would have sounded needy coming from some people, but coming from Kurt the statement sounded more like a confession of love. Maybe they weren't ready for those words yet, but little reminders of how much they cared about each other were always welcome, and Blaine would never deny his boyfriend snuggles.

* * *

 

The next day, Blaine woke to a text message from Kurt, which had him laughing hard enough to almost fall out of bed. There was a picture attached. A picture of his boyfriend's neck, which was so bruised it looked like he'd been in some kind of weird fight.

_They got worse overnight and now I have to wear my widest scarf all day. Dad's already laughing at me every time I shuffle past him and Finn thinks I have a cold. I hate you right now._

Blaine was quick to respond before hopping into the shower to get ready. He had to get some last-minute Christmas gifts before the holiday with the Hummel-Hudson family.

_Sorry, baby. At least your dad will be at the garage most of the day? And you know you don't hate me… Right?_

When he got out of the shower and was hopping around on one foot, trying to get his other foot through his pant leg which kept tangling in itself, Blaine heard his phone ding. A new message from Kurt.

_Yeah yeah. It isn't nice to use my fondness of you against me. Miss you already. Can't wait to see you for our first Christmas. ;)_

He was pretty sure his heart skipped a beat. Also, he was still mid-dance with his pants when he read that text, so Blaine soon found himself getting up close and personal with his floor. Note to self: Do not pay attention to Kurt when doing anything potentially dangerous. That boy was a hell of a distraction.

Final text sent off telling Kurt how he was looking forward to the holiday as well, Blaine let himself imagine the implications of Kurt's message. Their  _first_  Christmas. That meant Kurt intended to spend more Christmases with Blaine, right? He felt like he could fly when he left for the mall, and the feeling didn't leave as he found gifts for Finn, Burt, and Carole. He'd already gotten a couple things for his boyfriend. When he wrapped them later and packed a bag for his time at Kurt's house, Blaine was still smiling. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled so much.


	11. Chapter 11

The house smelled like cookies and douglas fir when Kurt opened the door for a snow-covered Blaine. "Oh, thank God. I was starting to worry you'd gotten stuck in the freak snow storm." There was something about Kurt's concerned voice that had Blaine melting even faster than the snow in his hair.

"I'm fine. Main roads weren't bad. Your neighborhood, though…. well, you're lucky I like you so much," Blaine said with a wink, leaning in for a quick kiss before wandering over to set the little bag of gifts he'd brought under the tree. He took his overnight bag up to Kurt's room so it was out of the way, then slipped into the kitchen where the rest of the family was gathered.

Carole was sitting at the table looking over recipe cards while Burt grumbled at the sports section of the paper. Kurt was fixing coffee, while Finn stuffed his face with cookies. Some of those cookies were soon passed to Blaine, who couldn't resist the temptation and just barely managed to look a little more dignified than Finn as he devoured a fair number of the sweet treats.

The arrival of Kurt at the table, along with two cups of coffee, one of which was fixed just the way Blaine liked, brought a toothy grin to his face. It was because of this amazing boy that Blaine hadn't even thought about how his parents weren't there for another holiday. He hadn't even gotten very upset when he got the package in the mail- some fancy Parisian cologne that Blaine thought stunk and a card telling him of the extra money they'd put in his personal account so he could 'treat himself'. Because buying love was totally a thing now.

He hadn't felt that normal loneliness, though, when he packed his things into his car and drove over to his boyfriend's house. Instead, Blaine had been full of excitement like little kids at this time of year. He couldn't help but lean over against Kurt, resting his head on the taller boy's shoulder after taking a long sip of his coffee. "Thanks, baby," he said, eyes drifting closed as he welcomed the warm contentedness that flowed through his entire body. He missed the way Burt looked from him to Kurt when he heard the pet name.

"No problem, sweetheart." They all sat in the kitchen for a little while, munching on cookies and talking about what time Rachel would be coming over the next day, since she didn't celebrate Christmas with her dads but wanted to for Finn. Kurt held his tongue, only whispering to Blaine about how Rachel sure did a lot of Christmas stuff for a Jewish girl. Blaine had laughed at that, then Burt announced that he was going to watch some Deadliest Catch and Finn said he was late for a Call of Duty run with Puck.

Carole looked over at the two remaining boys and smiles warmly. "So what are you two going to do until dinner? You know tradition says Christmas movies and one gift each after that, so you better get in your fun well before then." Blaine was pretty sure she winked at them, which made him blush a very deep red.

"We're just going to watch a movie in my room, Carole. Nothing too risque," Kurt laughed, winking right back at the woman. A few minutes later had Blaine closely following his boyfriend upstairs while Kurt muttered about missing his old basement bedroom where they would have had much more privacy.

Even with the bedroom door cracked, as Burt required, the two had plenty of time to cuddle while they watched Moulin Rouge. They laughed and wiped each other's tears at the saddest parts, singing  _Come What May_  together and looking deep in each other's eyes on the lines proclaiming their undying love. It was perfect and overwhelming and Blaine was thankful for the sad storyline to cover up the real source of his tears. He was in love with this boy, and he would do anything to keep him forever.

* * *

 

Dinner was a small affair with home-made chicken noodle soup and biscuits that Carole prepared. It was the perfect comfort meal for the occasion, and the Christmas dinner for the next day wouldn't be anything like it, so they wouldn't be disappointed with either meal. Kurt complimented his step-mother, who thanked him for making her such a better cook, and Burt and Finn both agreed that between Carole and Kurt they would never go hungry.

It was a lovely meal which then turned into a lovely evening with cookies and hot cocoa in front of the TV which showed Rudolf and Frosty and all those other Christmas classics that they all sang along to and commented at as if they could convince the reindeer to be nicer to poor Rudy or make the Bergermeister embrace the power of the yo-yo.

Blaine had never had this kind of experience with his family. It was wonderful, absolutely incredible. When he suddenly had a gift thrust into his lap, he gasped and looked over at Kurt who just grinned and gave his own gift a little jostle. "You all get one of your gifts from us tonight," Burt said, sitting down only for Kurt to get up and toss a present at his father while Finn grabbed one and handed it to Carole.

"Alright, alright, time to open!" Carole said, sounding like a little girl more than a mom. Blaine found it adorable, and he slowly opened his present, being careful with the paper and bow. Finn had already torn into his and come out with a fancy new controller for his xbox, which he'd been needing since Kurt mashed the buttons too hard last time and got the A stuck pressed down. Burt also had his present open pretty fast, and was grimacing at one of those fitness counting bracelets.

Kurt just gave his dad a pointed look so that the man wouldn't complain, then finished carefully unwrapping his own present to reveal a small box, in which sat five plane tickets to New York City. His jaw dropped and he gaped at his father and Carole.

Burt cleared his throat and gave his son a pointed look. "Those are not just for you. I know you want to go to the city for school, and you need to start applying pretty early next school year, so we really need to visit these places and figure out which ones deserve your time. Rumor has it you aren't the only one in this room looking forward to college in NYC…" Knowing eyes scanned over both Finn and Blaine, and the two other boys mimicked Kurt's open-mouth gaping. "Of course Carole and I want to come along to see where our sons feel the need to educate themselves and start their adult lives. As far as I'm concerned, you're our third son, kid. So get ready for a plane ride and a few days off from school."

The shock wasn't anything Blaine was prepared for, and he couldn't hold back the tears that crawled down his cheeks. "I… just… holy… Are you serious? I mean… I just…  _thank you so much_!" Burt reached over and clapped Blaine on the shoulder with a little laugh. He told him to calm down, that it was alright, and that he needed to breathe now and open his own gift.

He finally finished opening his present and his eyes clouded with tears again when he spotted the bow tie with little statues of liberty dotting it. "I noticed you wearing them more and Kurt said you were fond of them. I hope it's okay." Carole's voice was soft and sweet and Blaine couldn't hold back anymore. He got up and launched himself at both her and Burt, hugging them tighter than he'd ever felt the need to hug his own parents.

Burt just patted his back and told him he was a good kid, but Carole held him a bit longer, as if she could feel how much he was feeling just then and felt the need to show him that it really was okay. That he was good and worth all of this and more. That she cared. It was so touching, and nobody needed to say anything more about it when Blaine sat back down by Kurt and leaned into his boyfriend with a happy smile on his face.

Finally, Carole opened her gift, gasping at Finn when she spotted a heart necklace with three birthstones along one side of the heart. "It's Burt and Kurt and me. The birthstones, I mean. You know, your, uh, family. So you always have us with you…"

"Wow, Finn, I'm impressed. He did this all on his own, for the record. I can honestly say I had no influence," Kurt said, looking at his brother in a sort of awe. Finn grinned proudly as Carole put the necklace on and offered her son a watery thanks.

They finished another round of cocoa and one more movie before Burt turned off the TV and said it was time for bed. The man went over to Kurt and Blaine and gave them a strange look before sighing and grabbing his cap from his head, running a hand awkwardly over his scalp and steeling himself for his next words. "Alright, since it's Christmas and you're both great kids and I  _trust_  you… Blaine can sleep in your room tonight and tomorrow."

Kurt's eyes went wide and Blaine did a double take, which made Burt laugh and roll his own eyes. "No funny business though, got it? You boys mess this up and it won't happen again. I'll say it again, I'm really trusting you guys. Don't let me down, alright?"

With that, he went off to join Carole in their room and Kurt and Blaine wandered up the stairs, ignoring the odd look Finn threw their way as he trudged from the bathroom to his own room. The door was closed that night, but there was no funny business. The two of them just cuddled close and comfortable, so happy and secure in each other's arms. And if there were whispered "I love you"s exchanged for the first true time in the middle of that warm Christmas Eve night, well, that was only for Kurt and Blaine to know. To cherish. Just as they cherished each other.

* * *

 

Christmas morning brought cookies and coffee, and Kurt didn't even bother his dad about his increased sugar intake of late. It was a holiday, after all. They were bullied into present time fairly early by Finn, who turned into an absolute child around Christmas, apparently. It all just made Blaine feel warm and happy inside.

He was glad to see that his gifts went over well. Burt tried to give back the set of tickets for OSU home games (which included multiple football, baseball, and basketball games, two tickets for each one so Burt could take Finn with him) but Blaine just shook his head and muttered something about having more than enough money to spoil his adopted family. Carole was touched by the term for her family, and she immediately wrapped the cashmere scarf about her neck, preening in a pretty way.

Finn was pretty psyched when he unwrapped some new drumsticks and a bunch of classic rock CDs Puck had been railing on him for not owning. It was Kurt who had the best reaction, though.

"Oh my God, Blaine, you  _dork_ ," he said softly, a thickness to his voice that only made Blaine's heart stutter. "Now my gift is going to look so…  _material_." The brunette was clutching a coupon book that Blaine had worked on creating for him. There were tickets for movie dates, shopping weekends, time devoted to planning their future in New York… There were even a couple tickets for pampering spa days. He hoped Kurt would like it, but he wasn't prepared for just how much. "This is too thoughtful and perfect, Blaine. You suck so much…"

The shorter boy had little chance to open his own gifts just then, because his lap was suddenly full of Kurt, who clung to him and laid a sweet kiss on the side of his neck. "Thank you," Kurt whispered, leaning back when Burt cleared his throat.

Blaine opened his own gifts then, shocked to see that there were more from Burt and Carole. He'd not expected more than the bow tie and the inclusion in the trip to New York! He was thus very surprised to open gifts from Burt, Carole, Kurt, and even Finn. Kurt's gift to Blaine, though not the same kind of home-made, was still home-made and still made Blaine squeeze him almost too tightly before kissing his nose, making the countertenor giggle.

"This is the same fabric as the lining of your favorite vest! This is….  _Kurt_ ," he breathed, immediately removing the Christmas bow tie from his neck and tying the new on Kurt made him in its place. "And I know you sewed it for me because you told me you had to find that fabric special and remake the back of that vest just cause it was 'too boring' the original way."

It was true, and made Kurt blush that Blaine had remembered the little anecdote. Thanks were given to the others as well, and they were all left with some nice new items.

Finn got Blaine copies of some of the older games he and Puck played online sometimes, while Kurt got a collector's framed poster from _Wicked_  which Finn confessed Rachel had found, but he at least knew it would mean a lot to Kurt. There were other clothes and games and music-related things, and then Kurt joined Carole in the kitchen to help get dinner started since it would take a little while.

Blaine joined the pair in the kitchen for about two hours before deciding he'd done all he could really do and joined Burt in front of the TV. They bonded over the standings of the different bowls, watching the talking heads on Sports Center whenever a good game wasn't on or was at commercial or half time. It was a great bit of bonding, honestly, and Blaine was pretty sure Burt wouldn't be bonding this way with him unless he really did like him. Approve of him for Kurt. That was really important to Blaine.

Dinner was loud and fun and Rachel was there, too, which meant Finn kept spilling stuff on himself and getting all nervous, which was odd since the two of them had been together and apart and together again so much already that it would seem they shouldn't be awkward around each other anymore. It was amusing, at least, especially when Finn almost splashed grease on Kurt, who threatened his brother's life.

Delicious pies filled the table once the meal was finished, as did fresh coffee, and by the time everybody was ready for bed, they were all so full and content that a happy buzz seemed to fill the whole house. That night, Kurt and Blaine slept wrapped up in each other, and if their hands wandered a bit in the middle of the night, and if Kurt's room was full of soft moans and whispered pleas and praises, well, no one else was the wiser. And if Blaine woke up the day after Christmas with some discomfort in his pajama pants but a very warm, very satisfied Kurt draped over his bare chest… well, that just made this the perfect Christmas of Blaine's young life.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters today because I had a work event and didn't even open the laptop yesterday. Oops. Sorry! Forgive me since I give you double today? <3
> 
> Oh, AND this is my favorite chapter, too! So you get extra special fun!

The time between December 26th and December 31st went by relatively quickly. Blaine went home after lunch and ended up talking to Cooper, who was actually trying to be a part of his life again for some reason, which wasn't that important now that Blaine was getting used to having his brother involved again. His parents hadn't called until very late that night, offering excuses for not calling on Christmas and explaining that they would be returning roughly one week into the new year.

Blaine was happy to bid his parents goodbye and focus on getting the house ready for the upcoming party. Of course, he did spend one day with Kurt, who cashed in one of his shopping coupons to drag Blaine all the way to Columbus for an entire day. It was a lot of fun, and they held hands the whole time as they strolled through the mall and fancy shopping district. The two shared a delicious meal at a small French cafe where Kurt impressed him by speaking fluent French.

All in all, it was wonderful, and Blaine now knew why Kurt never had to study or really focus too much in his French class. They found some good sales on clothes and accessories and Blaine laughed as Kurt rationalized his need for two new scarves. ("You can never have too many scarves, Blaine.") The simple date made it easy for him to wait for his boyfriend to arrive extra early on New Years Eve, ensuring that the two of them would have at least six hours of pure alone time.

"My dad must really trust you, because he barely lectured me about how much I 'matter' before I came over. It almost makes me feel bad for my intentions," Kurt's voice lowered into a near purr by the end of his greeting, and Blaine just barely got the door closed before he was pinned up against it, Kurt kissing him with a hunger that was  _so_  sexy.

So far, the two of them had gotten off together through their clothes a couple of times, and they'd recently progressed to hands beneath pants. It was pretty obvious that both would want to go further. They were teenaged boys, after all, and they were in love. They  _mattered_  to each other.

"Blaine… I want to…" The blush on Kurt's face made Blaine feel fresh desire pulse through his body, making his hips jerk forward into Kurt, his arousal very apparent as it brushed against a similar bulge in Kurt's tight jeans. " _Oh God_ , Blaine…" That voice was a high-pitched breathy sound that was so full of emotion, desire.

Blaine groaned, leaning in to nip at Kurt's lips before kissing him again, deep and demanding. "Me too,  _oh_ , I want you so bad, Kurt." Hot lips trailed along the pale boy's jaw and neck, nipping and sucking, kissing and licking to soothe the little bites. Blaine moaned when he opened his eyes and saw the marks he was leaving, relishing the feel of Kurt pushing into him, trapping him against the wall with his need.

They still weren't moving away from the door, but that was fine with Blaine. Nobody was in his house, and nobody would be in it for at least five hours. They had the entire place to themselves, to do as they desired. Blaine grabbed Kurt's strong arms and flipped their positions, pinning his boyfriend against the door and looking at him with very hungry hazel eyes.

"I need to… let me…" he struggled with the words, dropping to his knees in a way that would most likely bruise, but didn't bother him at the moment. He was blind with lust and the need to make Kurt feel as amazing as he was, at least in Blaine's eyes. "I'm going to blow you." He licked his lips and reached out for his boyfriend's fly, quickly working on the button and zip.

A whimper answered him as Blaine tugged his boyfriend's straining erection from the tight confines of his pants and boxer-briefs. One of Kurt's hands found its way to Blaine's curls and the shorter boy moaned at the tug on his locks. "Oh, Blaine… Fuck. I love you. I can't believe you're really going to, right here, against the do- oh  _fuck_!" His breath was stolen by Blaine's mouth on his cock, it seemed, and this only made Blaine smile around Kurt's slick crown.

Even though he was inexperienced, Blaine thought he'd done pretty well the first couple of times he'd done this. After all, he had a cock too, and he knew what he enjoyed. Swirling his tongue around the head, Blaine hollowed his cheeks before leaning in, sucking Kurt down inch by inch. His hot tongue played at the sensitive area just under the head, then trailed over the thick vein of his shaft. He focused on using one hand to pull on the base that wasn't in his mouth, while he let his other hand fondle Kurt's balls.

The sounds that accompanied all of his movements so far were incredible. He could hear his boyfriend panting and moaning, keening to a high note that he wasn't sure he'd ever heard the boy hit before. When Blaine moaned around the cock, Kurt tightened his fingers to a painful grip in his hair, and he knew he was doing something right.

Blaine took Kurt's cock further into his mouth, just barely reaching the back of his throat and stopping before he caught his gag reflex. The bit of length that didn't fit in his mouth was being stroked and massaged by slightly rough fingers, and Kurt soon tugged on Blaine's hair with warning while Blaine felt the boy's balls tighten.

He was going to come, and Blaine knew he wanted it. He wanted to taste him and swallow him and take that little part of him for himself. There was something so intimate about swallowing Kurt down, and when he did, Blaine sighed in contentment. He licked at the slit again to catch the last dribbles of come, then sighed and leaned his head against Kurt's thigh.

"Oh God… Blaine…  _Blaine_ , holy fucking shit…" Kurt was panting and he apparently got a very dirty mouth when under the influence of an orgasm. Blaine could feel the countertenor's fingers gently threading through his sweat-damped curls, and he smiled, looking up at his boyfriend as those pretty blue eyes looked down at him, sparkling with wonder. "You're so fucking perfect, Blaine. I love you."

* * *

 

The first party-goers arrived with the pizza at seven o'clock. It had been almost seven hours that Blaine and Kurt had been alone in the house, and the two definitely took advantage. Kurt returned the favor of an incredible blowjob, then they'd snuggled on the couch and watched some Project Runway while Blaine told Kurt he expected to see him on the show some day, making a mentor of Tim Gunn and impressing the world.

They'd ended up sans pants and up in Blaine's room at one point, rubbing together as they had forever ago, or at least what felt like forever ago. Maybe they were moving too fast, but this didn't feel too fast. It felt right, and they weren't having  _real_  sex yet, so it was… okay, right? Realistically, Blaine knew that only the two of them could decide what was right or wrong or okay or not, but he still worried about what others would think. What  _Burt_  would think.

He was determined to take care of Kurt, though, so he knew that anything they decided to do together was just perfect. He smiled and covered his boyfriend with kisses as they moved together, coming in loud moans of ecstasy and lying there catching their breath together before laughing softly and taking a shower together. Now they were all cleaned up and ready for a party, Blaine taking the pizza to the living room where they'd socialize while Kurt let Rachel and Finn in the house.

Puck showed up with a bunch of bottles of booze, but no beer since he apparently couldn't score any, which meant they'd all be a lot more wasted a lot faster for this party. Soon after that, Mike and Tina arrived with Artie on their heels, Quinn carting Santana and Brittany with her. "For the last time, just because we are the unholy trinity does  _not_  mean I am going to join in your 'lady loving' Britt!"

Mercedes was last to arrive and shot Quinn a strange look for her comment, looking over to Kurt who just shrugged and rolled his eyes. They had all arrived which meant it was high time to start the party. Blaine grinned and took his place in the center of the room to get things going.

"Alright! We're going to watch the ball drop at midnight, but until then, we're going to play  _my_  games tonight. None of this truth or dare or never have I ever shit that Puck and Santana have way too much fun with," he started, giving the two trouble-makers pointed glares. "We're going to play Kings, which if you don't know the rules of I will explain in a minute, then we're doing  _duet mash ups_!"

Rachel clapped, Puck groaned, and Kurt licked his lips. Hmm, interesting reaction. Blaine explained the rules of the drinking card game before making everyone get drinks and sit in a circle. He drew first and immediately got to make a rule thanks to the king he pulled. "If you touch your hair, you have to drink." Kurt shot him a glare and dropped the hand that was about to make sure his chestnut locks were still properly placed.

Cards were pulled and actions were done, Artie arguing that it was a little too hard for him to reach the floor compared to the others while Brittany failed to follow along thanks to the distraction that was keeping track of how many times Kurt and Rachel both failed and touched their own hair.

By the time the next king was pulled, they were all rather tipsy and Puck decided to be an ass. "Each time a face card is drawn, the person who drew it loses a piece of clothing. Accessories and shit don't count, either. It's shirt, pants, underwear. Bras count with underwear, ladies."

Kurt was the first one to draw a second face card, which had him turning tomato red and muttering about how Puck's rule shouldn't count anymore and why the hell were they even still playing this stupid game, then he demanded a shot, was given tequila from Puck, then sighed and struggled out of his tight grey jeans. Blaine was so focused on staring at his nearly naked boyfriend that he missed cues to raise his hands and to drink with the guys. He didn't really care, though, because he had the  _best_  view.

When the circle got back to Kurt and he drew a king, he yelped, then shook his head and slapped the card down before him. "My rule is this game is over now. I am  _not_  getting naked with you all. Sorry to disappoint." Blaine smiled and shook his head, handing Kurt's clothes back for the boy to wiggle his way into them again while Puck bitched and Finn knelt down in praise of something called 'Cheesus'.

"Duet time!" Blaine and Rachel sang out, already whispering to their respective boyfriends as to what kind of mash-up they could do. In the meantime, Santana and Brittany shared some whispered conversation before hopping up and taking up space in the middle of the room.

Everybody paused when the girls started to sing:

 

_"I love myself, I want you to love me_

_When I feel down, I want you above me_

_I search myself, I want you to find me_

_I forget myself, I want you to remind me_

_That you make me feel_

_Shiny and new…"_

 

"Oh. My. God," Kurt said, watching Santana's hand creep between her legs. "This is really happening. Oh, my God. Blaine, we're doing Katy and Gaga. I have the  _perfect_  mashup to compete with this."

 

_"Like a virgin,_

_I touch myself,_

_Ooh I don't want anybody else,_

_Like a virgin,_

_I touch myself for the very first time!"_

 

Puck was seriously drooling at this point, while Tina stared with an open mouth. The mashup continued with Santana and Brittany getting ever closer, grinding on each other as they sang about masturbating like virgins to the thoughts of one another. At the end of their song, the sexual tension in the room ran high, but Kurt was undeterred. Blaine gulped knowing what they were about to do.

"Nicely done, ladies. Now let a true performer show you the ropes," he said, smirking and popping at hip at Santana, who glared at him. Brittany slapped his ass, which made Kurt jump with a squeak and Blaine just quirked a brow. His friends were very strange. Very,  _very_ strange.

Blaine soon cleared his mind and focused on the performance. This was made easy by the fact that his boyfriend's hips were a gift from the gods. He was openly staring and licking his lips as they began their song, using every excuse to get up close and move his hips along with Kurt's grinding into that sexy ass that barely fit in those tight grey jeans.

 

_"Let's have some fun,_

_This beat is sick,_

_I wanna see your peacock-cock-cock_

_This beat is sick, sick, sick"_

 

Oh and Kurt was rocking back into Blaine and it only made him so much harder than he already was and he could barely stand it! Then he looked into those lust-filled blue eyes as Kurt turned and grasped his shoulder, using Blaine like a prop while he popped his hips. Oh, _fuck_  this was way too hot.

 

_"Word on the street, you got somethin' to show me, me_

_Magical, colorful, Mr. Mystery, ee_

_Don't think too much just bust that kick,_

_I wanna take a ride on your peacock-cock-cock"_

 

Blaine really wanted to take that ride now. Or maybe Kurt could ride and he could just let himself be used? He'd do anything to feel some release at the moment, as his pants were so much too tight…

 

_"Are you brave enough to let me ride your disco stick?_

_What you waiting for, it's time for you to bust that kick_

_Don't be a shy kind of guy I'll bet it's beautiful_

_I wanna see your peacock-cock-cock_

_Your peacock-cock!"_

 

There were cheers and gasps as they finished, and Blaine was pretty sure everyone in the room could see how fucking hard he was. Finn wasn't even capable of looking at the couple, and Puck was definitely drooling.  _Drooling_!

Kurt smirked at Santana before tugging Blaine over to the couch and pushing his boyfriend onto the piece of furniture, perching easily in his lap with his back to the rest of the room, clearly dismissing them.

"Holy fuck, Kurt, that was…  _fuck_ ," Blaine groaned, bucking his hips slightly to show Kurt exactly what that performance was. He was vaguely aware of Finn and Rachel singing some kind of corny love song mashup, but honestly he wasn't paying attention to anyone but Kurt anymore.

Kurt was panting, but kept leaning in to bite and suck at Blaine's throat, every now and then landing kisses on his lips and slipping his tongue in to explore. They rocked slightly together, only for Kurt to tense up and pinch Blaine's thigh until he yelped. "Gotta stop. Gotta calm down. Can't come in front of fucking  _Finn_ , dammit," he muttered, sitting back on Blaine's knees and working to catch his breath and calm his body.

More duets were sung, but Kurt and Blaine were distracted by whispering all their desires in each other's ears. It was the only thing they could do to stop from tearing each other's clothes off and getting it on right in the middle of the New Directions. Sure, they were torturing themselves with mental images and strains in their pants, but at least they had something to focus on that wasn't going to embarrass them too much.

By the time Artie and Mike finished a duet involving Daft Punk and Michael Jackson, which was pretty awesome honestly, it was already after eleven. "We gonna turn on Ryan Seacrest or do you two want to actually progress to fucking?" Puck bitched over at the host and his boyfriend. Kurt flipped him off, having decided to crawl close in Blaine's lap again and resume sucking and nuzzling into his neck.

"Go ahead and turn it on, Puck. I'll get the champagne in a minute." This made Kurt grumble, but by 11:30, Kurt was moving and helping Blaine fetch glasses and the bottle of bubbly from the kitchen. While they were in their, Kurt insisted on sliding down Blaine's body and getting to his knees, sucking him off quickly while palming at himself, then cleaning up with a paper towel before they hastily made their way back into the main room. It was nearly midnight then, and Kurt's lips were clearly swollen and red in a 'just fucked' way while his hair was mussed where Blaine had accidentally fisted it.

Knowing looks from most of the girls and Puck made the brunette raise a slender brow as if daring them to say something. When no words were uttered, but a fist was offered for Blaine to bump, Kurt rolled his eyes and started passing out flutes of champagne.

The entire group counted down together, yelling out a 'Cheers!' at zero and clinking glasses all around, drinking the champagne before the couples exchanged kisses and the whole group delved into some good old fashioned  _Auld Lang Sine_. Soon, people were wondering off to find places to sleep, and Blaine was dragging Kurt off to his room for a night of cuddling and satisfaction, which would only end with the hangover headaches they each woke with the next day.


	13. Chapter 13

After the New Years party, school started back up sooner than any of the Glee kids wanted it to. It was annoying to be back to the grind, so to speak. Now they had homework again, group projects in a few of their classes which would have had Kurt complaining nonstop if it wasn't for the fact that Blaine was in his group in English (again) and his French teacher thankfully didn't put him with the moron that was Azimio.

Blaine was quite content to show up wearing his brand new bow tie, noticing that Kurt wore the matching vest even though neither had told the other of their planned outfits. The jocks noticed and sneered at Blaine all day, shoving Kurt into the lockers after English which had the shorter boy cracking his knuckles with an intimidating glare. "Didn't anybody spread the news that trained boxers have painful fists?"

He'd had to explain that comment to a stunned Kurt, telling him about the fight club he'd founded at Dalton and smirking with a sort of pride shining in his eyes. The two of them strode down the halls without much worry for a couple of days thanks to Blaine's threat to knock the brains out of the next jock to mess with them, but of course, all good things must come to an end.

It was a Thursday morning, a mixture of rain and snow falling to make the roads slick and the outdoors miserable. Blaine had stopped for coffee on his way to school, hoping to surprise his boyfriend. He parked his car next to Kurt's Navigator, grinning as he noticed the brunette hopping out with a large umbrella popping open.

"You are the  _best_  boyfriend," Kurt murmured, snatching his mocha and taking a sip to warm his bones. They linked arms, no longer too worried about the assumptions people might make about them. It wasn't like Blaine was planning on hiding forever, after all.

Blaine just grinned and nodded his head. "Yep. I know. The  _best_." He laughed when Kurt rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his own coffee and humming when the cinnamon tickled his tongue. Yes, it was definitely a good day for coffee. "I was really shocked you actually let Finn be in our trio for this English project. It was pretty nice of you."

The quarterback had stared at them like a lost puppy when the teacher said their projects would be assigned in groups of three. Blaine had given Kurt an encouraging look, and the brunette caved with a heavy sigh, telling his brother to stop moping already and start his share of the work. "Yes, well, I suppose I've gotten weak to his particular whine."

Kurt's words took on a hesitant tone at the end, and he pulled Blaine to a stop as they rounded the last car in their row to head for the school building. Four letterman-clad jocks blocked their paths, Azimio and Karofsky standing front and center and grinning like a pair of hungry hyenas.  _Oh, no_.

"Well, well, if it isn't a couple of lost fags. Maybe we should help them to their proper place, huh guys?" Karofsky's voice sounded in an intimidating growl, making Blaine flinch and clutch Kurt's hand. The taller boy hardened his gaze, but did nothing more. There was honestly nothing to be done when they were so outnumbered anyway.

There was a squeal and a grunt, the first from Kurt when he was suddenly lifted, the second from his captor who he had kicked in the knee. He was still flailing his legs, aiming to hit anyone he could. It didn't last long, however, as Karofsky grabbed his ankles and held him still in the lesser jock's clutches.

Blaine tried to throw himself at the attackers to save Kurt.  _His_  Kurt. Not theirs. Not anyone else's. They had no right to touch him, dammit! Then he realized he wasn't moving toward his love because he was tossed over Azimio's shoulder, legs trapped against the boy's front while his fists pounded uselessly against his back. The guy was a mass of muscle and fat and there was no way Blaine could escape. 

Their coffee cups were lying spilled on the wet ground while the two boys were carried over to the fullest dumpster, which contents were covered in a layer of thick, wet snow. There was too much moisture for the trash to be frozen, and somehow Blaine knew this was going to be his messiest dumpster dive yet. He closed his eyes and braced himself as he was thrown hard into the hulking mass of metal, groaning when Kurt was tossed with just as much force on top of him, Blaine's knee digging sharply into Kurt's back.

A painful howl escaped his boyfriend's lungs and Blaine tried to move so as to make sure Kurt was okay. Before he could do anything, though, the world turned pitch black and the sound of the jocks laughing was severely muffled. They'd closed the lid of the dumpster, and there was definitely something gross seeping through Blaine's pants.

" _Fuck_!" Kurt cursed, the sound of clanking metal telling Blaine that the other boy had just thrashed out with a kick at whatever part of the dumpster he could reach. "Dammit. I can't  _stand_  those guys! God, I walk arm-in-arm with Finn all the fucking time! You don't see  _him_  in the dumpster though. Oh, no, they stopped calling him gay. Maybe you can only pass for straight if you screw Santana. Not that she screws guys anymore…"

It was clear that Kurt was upset, and that he felt like Blaine being in such a position was his fault. Blaine needed to reassure his boyfriend that none of the bullying mattered. "Hey," he said softly, shifting in the dark to wrap an arm around Kurt while his other hand reached up to start pushing the lid of the dumpster out of the way. "I  _love_  you. Nothing they do will change that. Kurt… I'm not scared anymore. I'm not hiding who I am. I might not be screaming about it, but… fuck them. They can't scare me away from you." His eyes shimmered in the sudden light from outside as he got the lid off the dumpster, and he looked at Kurt with promise in his gaze.

The two of them managed to get out of the dumpster and clean off their clothes and bags as best they could, then looked at each other for a couple quiet moments. "You really are the best, Blaine…" Kurt said softly, practically collapsing into Blaine's open arms. "I feel disgusting now. Do you want to go back to my house and get cleaned up? My dad's home today and he'll understand." Blaine knew Burt would understand, and he definitely felt gross, too.

"Yeah… I think that would be the best option. Do… um… do you have a change of clothes I can borrow? My extras are in my locker and I'd rather not make an appearance just yet." He blushed a bit but Kurt just leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips, nodding that he had plenty of clothes for Blaine to wear. They got into Kurt's Navigator, soaked from the rain and snow and probably some juices from the trash that neither of them wanted to think about. Thank God Kurt had leather interior.

* * *

 

"No, he  _won't_  be coming to school today! Dammit, he was attacked outside the damn building! AGAIN! If I have to come down there and talk to Figgins myself I will," Burt Hummel's voice filled the lower floor of the house as he yelled into the phone. Blaine had just finished showering and was coming down to join Kurt in the living room. Apparently they weren't going back to school that day after all.

Blaine curled up on the couch next to his boyfriend, nuzzling his shoulder. "He sounds really mad," he commented, listening as Burt yelled Blaine's name into the phone as well, trying to force the administration to acknowledge that two students had been thrown into a damn dumpster without anyone even knowing it.

"I'm sorry he's dragging you into this… It's kind of been a long time coming for him to threaten Figgins over the bullying." Kurt's crystal blue eyes were staring at Blaine, taking in the way his own clothes looked on the shorter boy. Blaine couldn't help but preen. He felt quite handsome in his boyfriend's clothes.

The smile on Blaine's face only grew when he heard Burt fighting for him in the kitchen. "Honestly, it makes me feel good. Hearing your dad talk about me and defend me like I'm his own kid… it… My dad would never do that. He's not home enough to even know there's a need." He didn't say anything else on the matter, but Kurt still leaned in and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close and sighing comfortably.

Blaine's eyelids were growing heavy while Kurt flipped through channels on the TV after sending Finn a quick text asking him to get homework assignments for both him and Blaine. He explained the attack to his brother, who promised to beat the shit out of the idiot jocks, which Kurt promptly told him not to do. Once his phone stopped going off with text alerts, he finally found something on Bravo and Blaine was nearly asleep against him.

Burt's voice woke him up, however, as the man stomped into the room and plopped in his chair. "I swear, that damn school is more like a circus. Nobody takes charge and Figgins is completely useless." He shook his head, then looked at the TV and groaned. "You're going to watch crap like this all day now, aren't you? I should have known. Look, I got you both out of school today, so please behave and do your homework and… just be responsible, alright? I'm going down to the garage. I think tearing apart a car might make me feel better right now."

With that, Kurt and Blaine were left alone, and soon could be found lying curled up, Blaine in front of Kurt on the couch with his back against his boyfriend's chest, Kurt's chin resting on his head. Some housewives show was on the TV, but Blaine was lightly snoring before he even knew which one it was. He didn't wake up until Kurt poked him about an hour later, deeming it necessary to use the bathroom and make some coffee and eggs.

After eating, the couple relaxed on the couch for a little while before deciding that daytime TV was too boring to waste time on and heading up to Kurt's room. Once they reached their destination, the two were pressed together without a centimeter of air between their bodies, mouths clamped over each other so that they were virtually sharing the same breath. The kiss was at once both sensual and sexy, demanding.

In a clash of teeth and tongues, Kurt pulled Blaine down onto his bed on top of him, keening into his mouth. Hands started to wander and pants were opened, shirts unbuttoned and untucked, pulled over head and off shoulders and tossed across the room. They broke apart panting, eyes blown with lust and hips gyrating together.

"Mmm,  _Kurt_ ," Blaine moaned, pushing the pants down his boyfriend's thighs as best he could while keeping their bodies snuggled close together. "I love you. I love you so much.  _Oh_ , need you!" Blaine's hand wandered between them, abandoning his efforts to remove Kurt's pants in favor of groping the countertenor until his breaths came in a high-pitched whimper.

Kurt bucked his hips before finally working both their pants off and throwing them in the same direction as their shirts. "Yes! Need you, too. Oh,  _please_ , Blaine, will you…" He trailed off, cheeks a rosy pink. Blaine shot him a look, hoping to encourage his boyfriend to continue. He really wanted to know what Kurt wanted, hoping that he could give it to this amazing boy. "Will you finger me?"

His voice was barely a whisper, but Blaine heard him loud and clear, hissing a breath through his teeth as his excited cock jumped in underwear. Two pieces of clothing separated their erections, and Blaine had never been more interested in removing that separation. "God, yes," he growled, practically ripping his boyfriend's underwear from his hips and trailing down his body, leaving little love bites down his chest and over his hips.

He smiled when Kurt handed him a bottle of lube, popping the top and squeezing some of the gel-like liquid over his fingers. At the same time, he trailed his tongue up Kurt's length, flicking at the slit  before kissing it. "Oh,  _fuck_ , Blaine…" Kurt trailed, only to gasp and sigh happily when one slick finger found its way to his rim. Blaine circled the puckered hole some while he felt Kurt relax, then slid just the tip of his finger inside, massaging at the muscles until he felt he could push his finger in.

It seemed like time stopped as his finger slid into Kurt, mouth ever working on his cock. He took his time, worshipping his boyfriend as best he could, slipping a second finger into the tight heat and moaning around the cock in his mouth while Kurt whimpered and writhed beneath him.

"That feels so… so good… oh  _God_ , Blaine, please don't stop!" Hips bucked and Blaine just took the movement, pulling Kurt further into his mouth while he curled his fingers just so, making the boy keen and utterly lose his ability to speak.

He pulled off of Kurt with a wet  _pop_ , licking his swollen lips and grinning up at the boy. "Love making you feel good, baby…" he grunted, massaging Kurt's prostate and twitching at the sounds his boyfriend made. "You're so fucking beautiful. So perfect. God, I love you."

When Kurt begged for more, Blaine added more lube and thrust a third finger into him, knowing it had to be burning at least slightly by now, but also knowing by the sounds Kurt made that it didn't hurt in a bad way. He could just imagine how amazing it would be when more than his fingers were inside Kurt, but he also knew he wasn't ready for that yet. Neither of them were. This, though… this was amazing. Pure heaven.

Crooking his fingers repeatedly, Blaine watched Kurt fall apart. He slipped his hand into his own boxers, which were still on but rather soaked with pre-come. Blaine worked himself while he leaned in to get back to sucking on Kurt, working his fingers over his prostate over and over again until he heard a broken cry above him.

" _Blaine_! Yes, yes, oh my  _God_  yes!" Blaine swallowed around Kurt as the boy fell apart, swallowing down all that he gave while simultaneously losing himself to an orgasm brought on mostly by Kurt's pleasure, only using a few of his own strokes. His boxers were ruined by that point, but he didn't care. Blaine crawled up the bed after pulling his fingers out slowly and carefully, wiping them on said boxers. Settling in beside his boyfriend, Blaine leaned in to drop little kisses all over Kurt's face. 

They snuggled together, nodding off for a couple hours' nap. Waking up meant soft and slow kisses shared between them, slowly showing and sharing their love before getting dressed (Blaine borrowing a pair of briefs) and righting their hair. There was enough time to start a movie, a large bowl of popcorn sharing space on both their laps as they cuddled close under a blanket on the couch, before Burt showed up with take-out from Breadstix, Finn in tow.

"Hey boys, I brought dinner. Carole's gonna be late tonight so she told me to just grab something on the way home," Burt announced, heading to the kitchen with the food while Finn went upstairs to shower away the sweat and dirt from football practice.

Kurt threw a grin at Blaine, who nuzzled the crook of his neck. "Guess that means you're staying for dinner, boyfriend," he cooed, and Blaine just grinned back. He loved his adopted family. Nothing could be better than this.

* * *

 

It seemed Burt's call to the school at least did some good, as the jocks weren't acting out nearly as much. They were, however, glaring and grunting at Kurt and Blaine both, more so at Kurt since it was his father who had reported them. Every time they could get away with an 'accident' they would, which meant more shoving into lockers and tripping in the halls.

On top of the attacks, Blaine had to deal with the return of his parents, who didn't seem to understand anything he tried to explain to them. He told them about Kurt, to which they stated with great concern that they thought he'd 'grown out of' his deviation from normalcy. His playing straight at the start of the year had apparently fooled his parents well enough that they thought they no longer had to worry about having a gay son. That was just… swell.

By the third week of January, Blaine had told his parents of the upcoming trip to New York. They were confused and concerned, and wanted to meet this boy who their son was spending so much time with. They refused to call him Blaine's boyfriend. Instead, they used the term 'special friend' for Kurt, which made Blaine's jaw clench and fist twitch.

He tried to tell Kurt he didn't have to meet them. That he would just wait for them to leave yet again before the trip to New York even happened (they were heading away again the coming weekend) and it wouldn't be a problem. Kurt, though, wanted to meet his boyfriend's parents. He wanted to give Blaine all that Blaine had given him. He just didn't understand the way Blaine's parents were. He was going to be so… disappointed.

"Please don't let them bother you, baby. Please just… just ignore them, okay? I'm sorry. I'm already apologizing. I know it's going to be so bad and-" Kurt cut him off with a hard kiss to his lips, then lead the way to Blaine's front door.

The taller boy rocked on his heels, holding Blaine's hand and looking excitedly at the door. "Calm down, Blaine. Open the door and introduce me to your parents, will you? I won't hold anything they do or say against you. They aren't you, sweetie. Just like I'm not my idiot brother."

Taking a deep breath, Blaine opened the door and walked into his house that was definitely not a home, clutching Kurt's hand tightly and praying to whatever deity existed to keep his parents from embarrassing him beyond repair. Of course, that wasn't about to happen, which became clear when Blaine's father strode into the foyer and glared at their clasped hands.

"Hello, you must be Kurt," he said stiffly, and Blaine felt his heart drop in his chest. He hated his father in this moment. Kurt was looking at Mr. Anderson with wide blue eyes full of confused trepidation. "It's so nice to meet Blaine's…  _special_  friend. Blaine, hang your coats and leave your shoes in the drying pan and come to the family room to join your mother and me for drinks." With that, the man turned on his heel and walked away to the room Blaine always just called the living room. It somehow seemed less pretentious, and like less of a lie despite the fact that they were not a family most of the time.

Shaking his head and giving Kurt a sad, strained look, Blaine hung both their coats by the door while his boyfriend undid the many clasps on his knee-high boots, finally setting them in the drying pan by the door and given Blaine's hand a reassuring squeeze as he retook it and strode into the 'family room'. The couple immediately made their way to the couch, sitting close to each other and still holding hands despite the look in Mr. Anderson's eyes.

Blaine cleared his throat and shot his parents pleading looks as he spoke. "Mom, dad, this is Kurt. My boyfriend. He… he means a lot to me," his voice cracked and he looked down at his lap. His mother had practically gasped when Blaine introduced Kurt as his boyfriend. His father still had the hateful glare on his face. This was horrible. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't Blaine's parents be more like Kurt's dad? Burt Hummel was the most amazing dad in the world, and yet Blaine was stuck with… this. He wanted to cry.

"Hello Mr. Anderson, Mrs. Anderson. It's so nice to finally meet you," Kurt said in his musical voice that was somehow not beaten down at all by the lack of hospitality thrown his way. "You have a wonderful son. I hope you know that. He might just be the bravest person I know."

The conviction in Kurt's voice had Blaine looking up and over at the boy he so loved. No one had ever said something so kind to him. His father's voice broke the moment, however, and Blaine was shaking by the time the man closed his mouth again. "I can't say it's all that nice to meet you, Kurt, but I suppose it isn't  _horrible_. You shouldn't tell such lies, though. Blaine is not  _brave_. He's foolish. He's been foolish before, but we thought he'd outgrown that phase. Now it seems he's right back at it."

The man turned to focus on his son, and the silence in the room was overwhelming. "Tell me, son, do you  _want_  to be back in the hospital? Do you  _want_  to actually be killed this time?" Blaine couldn't breathe, and he felt Kurt tense up beside him. This was not good. Not good at all.

"Mr. Anderson," Kurt started, voice just a bit shaky compared to before. "Your son is  _extremely_  brave. He should  _never_  have to hide who he is, or who he loves for that matter." Blaine could hear his father's teeth grating together, but Kurt didn't stop. "I'm sorry you don't love your son for exactly who he is, but I do. I love Blaine and I'm so glad he'd not hiding from me anymore." His eyes were practically clear, so icy and angry. It was… amazing. Blaine had never felt more protected and cared for than he did just then.

They were supposed to be having dinner at the Anderson's, but that didn't seem likely to happen now. "Perhaps we should forgo our family meal. I've lost my appetite anyway," Mr. Anderson droned, his wife still having said nothing but looking rather scandalized where she sat.

Blaine took the declaration as a good excuse to escape his non-home. He stood, still holding Kurt's hand, and pulled the boy up with him. "Fine. We're leaving then, since we need to get dinner now," he said, voice surprisingly not breaking despite how much his hands shook. "Don't even bother reminding me, I know I have a curfew when you're actually here. I'll be home by eleven. I'm sorry I couldn't change for you, dad. I'm sorry I'm not the perfect son like Cooper. I just thought… maybe, just maybe, you'd see how much this meant to me and  _try_. I guess that was wishful thinking though…"

With a look that spoke of all his disappointment, Blaine glanced at each parent before stalking out of the room on shaking limbs, thrusting his feet into shoes that he didn't bother to adjust at all and shoving his coat on, leaving with Kurt before the boy had even managed to clasp up his boots.


	14. Chapter 14

In the car, Blaine broke down. Kurt drove them out of the neighborhood and pulled into a parking lot at a nearby park, leaving the heat on so that they could warm up while they composed themselves. Kurt was shaking much like Blaine, but he was still mostly together. Blaine was completely falling apart.

Pained sobs escaped his throat and tears fell freely down his cheeks. Kurt wiped those tears away, unbuckling them both and crawling over the center console of his Navigator to sit in his boyfriend's lap, leaning in to kiss away the wet trails on his face while he wrapped his arms around the shaky mess that was Blaine.

"I'm s-s-so sorry, K-Kurt," Blaine gasped, a hiccup causing issues with his breathing. Kurt shushed him, rubbing soothing circles into his back, but Blaine kept on. "I sh-shouldn't have let y-you meet them. I kn-new this would happen. Oh, K-Kurt, I'm so s-s-sorry!" Tears were slowly sliding down Kurt's cheeks now, and Blaine just felt worse for that.

He'd made this amazing man cry. Him and his family. His father. Oh, God, this was horrible. "Blaine, honey, please… It's not your fault. You've done nothing wrong. I promise you, you did nothing wrong at all. I'm so,  _so_  happy to be yours. I'm so happy you let me into your life a little bit more tonight." Kurt's voice was soft and soothing, and made Blaine look into those eyes, so full of emotions. "I  _love_  you. Nobody can change that. Nobody can take that away. I don't care what your father thinks. I just… I wish you didn't have to be in this situation. Parents are supposed to love and support their kids. That's what my dad always says. It's what my mom believed. It's… it's what's  _right_."

Blaine could see Kurt's heart breaking, and he didn't know how to fix it. It was the same way Blaine himself had looked, felt, when his father first told him he would 'outgrow' his 'condition'. It was the way he looked when he realized he would never be loved or accepted in his own house. It was the way he looked when he realized his house wasn't a home anymore. Or ever, really.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with parents like them, sweetheart. I wish I could make them better for you. I really just… I could never hurt you like they do, Blaine. Never. I love you too much." Somehow those were the exact words Blaine needed to hear, and Kurt knew. The shorter boy leaned in for a kiss, wet with tears and soft as if he might break under any sort of pressure.

The moment passed and Blaine nuzzled the crook of Kurt's neck like he seemed to do so often, his breathing back to normal and his shaking stilled. Kurt smiled at him, kissing him with a bit more force and all the same promises on his lips. "I love you, Kurt," Blaine whispered in a wrecked voice, arms wrapped around Kurt's waist. "I am sorry for them. I just wish… I mean, Burt's so great. He makes me feel completely loved and accepted and… I wish I could give you the same experience with my family. I just… can't. I'm sorry."

Kurt pulled away and made a face at Blaine. "Stop it. I know what you wish, because I wish it too. It isn't your fault though and you will stop taking the blame. Now. I love you, and I don't care what  _anybody_  has to say about it. Now, we're going to get some fast food, which you know I hate so you had better enjoy it, and we're going back to my house, and we're going to sit with dad and Carole and Finn and plan our trip to New York. Got it?" Then Kurt kissed him one more time before crawling back to his own seat, buckling up, and turning the radio up.

The two of them sang along to every song on the current top 40, stopping at Subway, which was not quite fast food in Blaine's opinion but had more resemblance to real food so Kurt would actually eat it. By the time they reached the Hummel-Hudson household, they were both in better spirits and got all the brochures and college pamphlets and Kurt's laptop before getting to planning with the rest of the family. Nobody asked about the puffy eyes or tear-stained faces.

Burt would find out all about it later on, and that was okay. Blaine knew Kurt shared everything with his dad, and it wouldn't be so bad to have an adult know what he was lacking at home. For now, they could enjoy the family time that Blaine was now a part of for what it was, and not dwell on the Andersons and their lack of love. Blaine had everything he needed in this family, and in Kurt's arms and heart.

* * *

 

Blaine's parents insisted that he stay home when he wasn't in school the rest of the time they were in town. He was more than a little irritated that he couldn't go out on coffee dates or go to the Hummel-Hudson home for dinners that week, but Kurt kept reminding him that it was only for a little while and encouraged him to enjoy the time with his parents as much as he could. That just required Blaine to pretend he wasn't himself. No big deal.

"Hey," he said with a sigh on Friday morning when he leaned beside Kurt's locker. They were both relatively exhausted since they'd been working so hard all week making sure they were well prepped for Regionals. Kurt, Blaine, and Finn would be missing the last half-week before it to go to New York, so they were finalizing everything ahead of time. "My parents left this morning. Do you… um, I mean, do you want to come over after school?"

He wanted to talk to Kurt, let him know how much he didn't like what his parents said and believed. Inside, he knew Kurt already understood, but a part of him was so scared that his boyfriend wouldn't want to be with him anymore now that he knew just how utterly broken his family was. He was scared that Kurt would decide that it all wasn't worth dealing with. He got enough abuse at school.

The smile that bloomed on Kurt's lips, despite the tired yawn that followed, had Blaine smiling right back. Kurt wasn't going to get bored or stressed or anything like that. The two of them were in love, no matter how young or naive they were. They cared about each other enough that nothing could get between them- even the jocks who just stole Kurt's notebook while they were distracted talking.

"Dammit, my French homework is in that notebook," Kurt muttered, hurrying after the idiot puckheads to gather the notes and papers they'd pulled out of the notebook and left fluttering through the hall. Blaine, of course, helping him gather the notes and other papers, catching the notebook when Rick Nelson tossed it aside.

Blaine shook his head, only to grin at the heart doodle with his name and Kurt's that he'd caught toward the end of the paper-gathering. "I guess you weren't kidding when you said your French class wasn't worth paying attention to," he muttered, only for Kurt to mutter back the French phrase for 'I love you'. He gave back Kurt's notes and notebook then, heading off to English where Finn was waiting for them, happy to report that he'd actually finished his part of their big project. It was a good start to a good day, and the teasing only increased their fun bonding with each other.

* * *

Glee that afternoon had been annoying. Rachel was freaking out on the three boys who would be heading to the city the following Wednesday and not returning until Sunday, just in time for Regionals on Tuesday. That meant they only had three total days of everybody there to prepare, and no matter how many times Finn told her they were ready, the girl wouldn't calm down.

Because of Rachel's insistence, Blaine had to sing his solo (he was still a little shocked that he'd gotten the lead parts of  _Don't Stop Me Now_ ) twice through, the first time getting stopped every other line so that Rachel could point out invisible flaws. Kurt had finally cut her off and told her to shut up and let Blaine sing, so he'd been able to get through the entire song the second time.

After that, they'd worked on the group number of  _Shout_ , which was really a lot of fun even when Rachel was panicking. Because of Kurt's snap from earlier, she actually backed off a bit during the group performance.

Of course, when they were done with the group song, they were all ready to call it quits for the week. It was time for normal Glee practice to end, they were all tired after a long week, and they were all more than ready for a weekend of rest and relaxation, and more importantly,  _no Rachel Berry_. Well, at least if they weren't Finn.

"We still need to practice my solo!" Rachel screeched, and everyone, literally  _everyone_ , even the freaking band, groaned. They'd all heard Rachel's  _Girls Just Want to Have Fun_  enough times that they never wanted to hear the damn song again after this competition. It was nice having a good set list for a 'Classics' theme, but really. There was a secret plea for Rachel to magically lose her voice in the next week. They could figure out something to win with on the fly. Just as long as they didn't have to hear her belt out about having a good time when she was, in reality, being the most anxious and annoying fun-killer in the Eastern US.

Santana started threatening to 'cut a bitch' while Brittany and Quinn half-heartedly held her back. Puck was already up and walking toward the door, while Finn looked sadly at his apparently psychotic girlfriend. It was Kurt who finally stood up and approached the obviously-stressed Rachel.

"Rachel, sweetie, you need to calm down now," he said calmly and with an authority that had Blaine sitting up straight and staring at his boyfriend. "You know as well as the rest of us that we are  _ready_  for this. We've all been working really hard, and we're all talented. You're a star, Rachel Berry. Now stop doubting yourself. And stop doubting the rest of us while you're at it, okay? You don't need to panic over this, honey. It's not Broadway yet."

Kurt winked at her, which seemed to break through her wall, and she finally stopped freaking out, leaning into him with a little shake of her shoulders, which might have been a sob but nobody but Kurt could definitely tell. The countertenor held his best friend for a minute, rubbing soothing circles into the small of her back, before kissing the top her head and letting her go. "You alright?"

The nod that Rachel gave Kurt was honest. Her eyes were a little watery, but she was able to take a deep breath and smooth out her skirt, turning to the rest of the room with a soft and somewhat embarrassed smile. "Right. We can just… start with my solo Monday's practice then." She didn't say anything else, but it was close to an apology from the slightly manic girl, so the rest of them accepted it and gathered their things, Puck finally going out the door at the dismissal, closely followed by a still-muttering Santana.

"You're like, the Rachel Berry whisperer or something, I swear," Blaine mumbled to Kurt as Finn shot his brother an appreciative nod and smile before sweeping said girl out of the room and toward the parking lot. Kurt had told Finn at the start of practice that he would catch a ride with Blaine later, since they'd ridden together that morning and it was Finn's turn to drive. "Ready to go?"

Kurt nodded with a grin and a small yawn, pulling his phone out as they walked out of the room, keeping a small distance since they weren't just with the Glee kids now. "I'm just gonna text my dad and see if it's okay with him if I crash at your place. I'm so tired and I don't want to make you drive me home later." Blaine nodded his approval of the plan while unlocking his car so they both could get in.

If anything showed how much Burt trusted and genuinely like Blaine, it was his allowance of Kurt to spend so much time with him without supervision. It was also made obvious that Burt approved of him when the man actually encouraged Kurt to skip Friday dinners. If Kurt's reaction was anything to go by, that spoke real volumes. They were cleared for the impromptu sleepover while Blaine drove, and Kurt muttered something about being glad he'd left a few of his clothes at Blaine's house after the last time he'd spent more time than planned there.

Wasn't that supposed to be some big stepping stone in a relationship? Leaving personal items at the other person's house? Blaine had a couple shirts and a pair of sweats at Kurt's house, and he had already borrowed at least two pair of Kurt's boxers which he hadn't and didn't intend to give back. They'd barely been dating long at all, though. Blaine almost felt like he should be worried about how fast things were going, but then… they'd both confessed to liking each other from the start of the school year. They'd been spending time together and doing pretty much everything boyfriends did besides the physical long before they started dating. Their progression made more sense when thought about that way.

When they got to his house, Blaine dropped his bag in the living room and went to the kitchen to get them some coffee and a snack. Kurt joined him, helping to gather some fruit from the fridge while Blaine prepared their coffee the way they each preferred. When they finished, they snuggled together on the couch with something on the TV that neither was paying attention to. They sipped their coffee and ate the fruit, watching each other and smiling every now and then. They were just so comfortable together. So happy.

"So, I um… I wanted to apologize again for my father and um… explain I guess," Blaine started, looking down as he spoke. Kurt reached over, though, and tilted his chin up, understanding eyes giving the shorter boy courage to keep talking. "He doesn't… well,  _obviously_  he doesn't accept my sexuality. Dad's always thought he could  _fix_  me or something, I think. He had me build a car with him one summer. My father who doesn't believe in manual labor as far as I could ever tell. It was obvious to me then that he was trying to make me straight somehow. I just… I dunno. I did it with him so that I could feel like I was actually making him happy for once, I guess. He stopped trying after I refused to hide who I was."

Kurt's hand reached out to rub silent circles on Blaine's knee and thigh, sending him support and encouragement to continue. "My mother never even tried to understand or change me. She just… didn't care I guess. She always seemed to care more for Cooper. I think she only ever wanted one child, honestly. Coop's the only one who ever accepted me for who I am, at least as far as family goes. I think he just doesn't think it should matter. I mean, he just sees people for who they are all the time. He doesn't  _judge_. I don't know how the hell my parents made him, but I'm happy for it." Blaine smiled at the thought of his older brother. "I really want you to meet him. I think he'd like you."

"I think I'd like him," Kurt said softly, setting his mug down and leaning in to rest his head on Blaine's chest. "You know, I used to think my dad wanted me to be straight." At Blaine's shocked look, Kurt laughed. "I know. I know it was crazy of me. I mean, my dad is the most supportive person in the world. He'd love me no matter what, and I know that  _now_. But, it was last year, when I was dealing with the most teasing ever because I was out and open about it and… well, I decided I didn't want to be that guy who got shunned as if he was diseased or something. And I didn't want my dad to have more in common with the guy I was crushing on than me." The explanation that the 'guy' in question was Finn made Blaine laugh a little while Kurt blushed and proudly said he'd gotten over that foolishness.

Blue eyes sparkled up at Blaine as Kurt continued. "Anyway, the point is I wore freaking  _flannel_  and trucker hats and sang Mellencamp and kissed  _Brittany_  and it was just… weird. And when I told my dad why, he basically told me I was being crazy and that he loves me no matter what and made it all seem so  _stupid_." Kurt shook his head then, looking back up at Blaine and taking his hand with a squeeze. "The point is, though… You can't be what or who you're not. Even if you really want to be for the people you care about. If they care about you, they'll understand that. And if they don't… well, the Burt Hummel answer to that is 'screw 'em', but I prefer 'show them exactly what they are missing out on'. You don't need anyone who doesn't need you, Blaine. There are plenty of us who do need you to take up all your time."

A warmth spread through him then, and Blaine couldn't help but pull Kurt up into a kiss, having set his own coffee mug down as well. The brunette climbed into Blaine's lap and they kissed for what felt like forever. Both of them put their all into the kisses, making sure that they knew just how much love flowed between them. They knew they mattered, at least to each other, and that nothing could take that from them. It didn't matter how many people hated them just for being who they were. It didn't matter what Blaine's parents thought of either of them. It didn't matter how many slushies they took or how many bruises shaped like lockers littered their bodies. They had each other. That was all that mattered.

"My dad doesn't want me to go to school in New York," Blaine mumbled when they broke apart. "He wants me to study business at Brown or Harvard. He went to Brown, so he really wants me to go there. Wants me to enter the 'family business' and 'make something' of myself." He held Kurt close, still in his lap, and shook his head. "I'm not doing that though. I won't do what he wants when it's nothing I want at all. I… I want to study music. I'm leaning toward NYU, to be honest. Composition and performance both. I was thinking maybe… maybe someday I could compose for broadway."

Hazel eyes sparkled with previously unspoken dreams, and Kurt smiled at him with a little laugh in his throat. It was the kind of laugh that just escapes when a person is too happy. A sound to express pure joy. "Oh, honey, that sounds perfect! You know you'll have no problem getting in. Your grades are really good and having Dalton on your transcripts is a big feather in your cap." Kurt winked at him, and Blaine's heart soared.

"I don't think they can take away my trust fund, either, and part of it opens when I turn eighteen, so I shouldn't have any problems with tuition…" The bigger part of the fund would unlock at 21, but he'd at least have enough money for school and rent. He didn't think he'd want to live in dorms at school. In fact, he was pretty sure he knew he wanted an apartment and who he wanted as a roommate, but it was too soon to bring that up. There was still another year of high school to get through before that, after all. For now, he'd just keep dreaming of the future in silence.

The rest of the night was spent discussing their school and professional dreams while they watched  _Clueless_  followed by  _Bring It On_. Even though it was time alone after a week of no time outside of school, the two were happy to just lie on the couch together. They held each other and kissed and murmured 'I love you's at random, falling asleep at some point during the cheerleading sequel. The morning saw sore muscles and awkward neck-cramps due to the odd sleeping arrangement, but they were both happy.

They went to the mall that day with Tina and Mercedes, spending the entire day shopping and laughing and just having a great time. It was fun, relaxing, and just what Blaine needed after a stressful week with his parents. The girls were great and Kurt was obviously enjoying himself. He even got Blaine to try a bunch of stuff on, giving them all a fashion show and even buying a few sweaters for the New York trip.

By the time the day was over, Blaine dropped Kurt at his house and kissed him softly on the doorstep. Of course, that just led to Carole opening the door and insisting that he stay for dinner, which ended in another chaste kiss on the doorstep as Blaine left two hours later with a container of leftovers riding shotgun.

* * *

 

Monday found a surprise slushie to the face when Blaine walked through the doors of the school, which had him dragging Kurt and a change of shirt to the bathroom so that the countertenor could quickly clean the bow tie that Carole and Burt had bought him. "Thank God you're good with stains. I'd be pissed if that was ruined," he muttered, pulling a new shirt over his head and grimacing at the state of his nice dress shirt that was now speckled with blue where it once was a green and white plaid print. "Why do they have to use slushies? I mean, they're so damn annoying and cold and  _colorful_. I don't know how you can stand wearing nice clothes to this place."

Kurt just laughed that musical laugh that always seemed to make Blaine's heart flutter. "I just refuse to let them take that away from me. Plus, as you said, I am a master of stain fighting. This should be fine, now, by the way. Just hang it in your locker so it can dry properly." He handed the tie back to Blaine and dropped a kiss on his cheek.

Blaine smiled and kissed him back on the lips before stowing the shirt in a bag and leading the way out of the bathroom to drop his wet things back at his locker so they could head to English. It was getting harder for Blaine to stop himself from taking Kurt's hand in the hallway or kiss him at his locker, but he'd already made a promise to himself. After his parents' reaction to Kurt and NYC and all of it, Blaine had made a big decision. He was coming out with a statement of love and devotion, and he was done hiding anything about himself. He was going to New York, he was going to school for music, and he was going to do it all with the man he loved.

No jock could stop him and no parent could tell him he was wrong. He'd prove his love for Kurt on Valentine's day. He just had to keep up the act for two more weeks. He could do it. He'd done it all this time, after all, so a couple of weeks wouldn't be hard at all, right?


	15. Chapter 15

By the end of classes on Tuesday, Blaine was so ready for the trip to New York that he thought he might scream. Rachel had sang her stupid solo three times on Monday and she almost sang it again Tuesday before Mr. Schuester cut her off and practically begged them to focus on the group number instead. They'd done more work on choreography than vocals, and by the time they were finished everybody was about ready to collapse.

Goodbyes and good lucks were had and Blaine drove over to the Hummel-Hudson home, already having his suitcase packed in his car. They'd leave early the next day, so he was spending the night on the couch as he had many times before. Dinner was spent mostly discussing how excited they were for the next day and what all they had to do and when. Kurt had it all planned, but he still wanted to make sure everybody was on the same page.

Blaine had a surprise for his boyfriend, which Kurt didn't know about but his parents did. He couldn't wait to see the look on the boy's face when he found out they were going to see  _Wicked_  that Friday night. Carole, Burt, and Finn were going to some dinner at a school Finn was interested in, so it was the perfect evening for a date. Kurt would be so surprised…

Sleeping was difficult as they were all excited and nervous for the trip. Carole and Burt were still coming to terms with the fact that their boys were really growing up and would leave them in roughy a year's time. Finn was nervous that he wouldn't find a place where he would fit. Kurt was overwhelmed with choices that he wasn't sure he wanted to make just yet, and Blaine… well, he knew what he wanted. He was just scared there were things that could stop him from having it. He hoped he was good enough for everything he dreamed about.

The morning came without much sleep having been had, and everything was a rush of bags tossed in the car, Kurt squeezed in the backseat between Blaine and Finn while complaining about Finn potentially falling asleep and drooling on him, Carole triple-checking that everything was off and locked and the like, and finally Burt driving them to the airport to catch their flight.

Kurt panicked a little at the takeoff, having never flown before, but Blaine held his hand and calmed him down so that by the landing he was acting like an old pro. Finn was wide eyed and excited like a little kid when they got in the van that would take them from the airport to their hotel. His face was pressed to the window while they sifted through traffic, and Carole and Kurt both laughed at his childish wonder. The hotel accommodations consisted of two rooms- one single for Burt and Carole and one double for the boys. It seemed that since Finn was in the room, Burt wasn't worried about Kurt and Blaine sharing a bed.

Finn did, indeed, threaten them should they do anything 'funny' while he was in the room. "Not that I don't love you, dude, but seriously. I'm so not ready for that," he'd stated, to which Kurt said he felt the same about Finn and Rachel and they came to a mutual understanding.

Once they were all settled in, it was about lunch time and they all set off for a nearby cafe that Kurt had found in his research. The food was good and the service wasn't bad, which was a plus. By the time they finished, they had a plan to spend the afternoon at NYU, since it was a big hitter for all three boys. (Nobody quite had the heart to tell Finn he probably wouldn't get in with his grade point average.)

* * *

 

"This could seriously be the school, Kurt. Oh my God I'm so… just…" Blaine made a noise that was something like a squeak and a diluted scream, and it just made Kurt grin from ear to ear at him. "I mean, it really really could work! Did you  _see_  that baby grand in the concert hall? God if I could just run my fingers over those keys…" Kurt didn't point out that the woman who showed them the room had invited Blaine to do just that, which the shorter boy was grateful for.

He was just so excited! He could seriously see himself becoming a part of this student body. Blaine sat with Kurt in the open area outside the main student building, watching as people walked by them on their way to or from classes, immersed in phone calls and conversations with friends, clutching books and bags and coffees… it was starting to become something he could actually see for the both of them, and it was a wonderful feeling, honestly.

A comfortable sigh fell from his lips as Blaine lounged back against the bench they sat on. There was another perk of being here, in New York instead of Lima. Same sex couples were just part of the norm here. There were two guys who walked by a bit ago, sharing a kiss before they parted, hands lingering together for a brief moment before each went his own way. No attention was drawn. It was amazing. It gave Blaine the courage to sit extra close to Kurt, going so far as to rest his head on the taller boy's shoulder, running their joined hands over Kurt's thigh.

"Now we just have to find my perfect school, huh?" Kurt said with a happiness in his voice that Blaine never thought he'd tire of hearing. "I think I'm actually leaning toward Parsons. Is that… odd? I mean, I always thought I'd go the performing route like Rachel but…" Blaine knew Kurt had been thinking more and more about schools for fashion lately. The brunette had taken a risk and put some of his sketches up on his fashion blog and got a lot of positive feedback. He'd even caught the eye of someone from  _Style_  magazine, which he would have been a fool to ignore. That particular comment encouraged him to get to a fashion school and start working on his own line. Pronto.

Blaine smiled easily at his boyfriend, enjoying the way his whole body felt warm, starting in his chest and worming its way out to his limbs. "I don't think it's odd at all, baby. I think it makes the most sense of all your options. Let Rachel fight for the spotlight. You'll be in it as soon as you learn the ropes. When you present your first big ideas, the industry will have Kurt Hummel blinders. Nobody else will even get seen."

The desire to go to a more specialized school had crossed Blaine's mind, but he'd decided he'd rather go to a well-known school with a more generalized curriculum. There were some minors he was considering that would be easier to get if he was studying at NYU as opposed to somewhere centered solely on music. NYADA was Kurt's other big consideration, but it seemed unlikely now. Blaine really believed that Kurt would do better in fashion. He could still perform on the side, after all, but in things like Broadway he'd always be judged as he had before in school. He'd always be too different for starring roles, and that would kill both him and Blaine to see happen. In fashion, Kurt could rise to the top without anything holding him back.

"How do you think Finn's doing?" Kurt murmured, a bit of worry in his voice. Blaine had to remind himself that Kurt's brother would probably have a harder time finding acceptance to the school he really wanted, and it did make his heart ache for the quarterback. He always wanted the best for Coop, even when they weren't getting along or talking much, so he could imagine how Kurt was feeling.

Making a mental note to call his own brother once he was back home, Blaine focused again on Kurt. "He'll figure out what he wants and then find a way to make it happen. Finn's a determined guy. And if he's not determined enough, then Carole and Burt both are." Kurt laughed at that, knowing it was true. The Hummel-Hudson family wouldn't let one of their own fail or give up. Finn would be fine.

* * *

 

Later that evening, the family plus Blaine went out to a diner called 'Callbacks' which Kurt had read about with Rachel ages ago. Blaine was floored by the place, with its singing waiters and waitresses and the general Broadway vibe of it all. He was shocked, to say the least, when Kurt dragged him from their large booth and sauntered up to the little 'stage' where a piano sat untouched for the night.

It seemed Kurt asked someone if they could try their hand at providing some entertainment, and the wait staff encouraged them with grinning faces. It was a fun place, Blaine though. A place he wouldn't mind working during school if things worked out that way, actually.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Kurt shoved him to the piano bench and whispered in his ear. The suggestion was a lesser-known band who Blaine had stumbled upon once and taken a liking to. He'd just shared them with Kurt a few weeks ago, and now he wanted to perform one of their songs in front of a whole restaurant full of strangers? Sometimes he really loved his spontaneous, albeit insane, boyfriend.

The jovial tones beat out form the piano as Blaine easily started the song, grinning at Kurt, who sat on the edge of the bench, leaning slightly so they could share a mic. Blaine started to sing, happiness flowing through his body and into the lyrics with ease.

 

_"In a field outside of town_

_We could always be alone_

_Carry a blanket, maybe a basket…_

_And that's it"_

 

Kurt took the next string of lines, glancing at Blaine with all the love and happiness in the world mirrored in those crystal blue eyes.

 

_"Innocence was the key_

_I was locked up never free…_

_Til you turned me…"_

 

Their voices harmonized then, some of the wait staff who knew the song falling in for the backing vocals.

 

_"Like vines we intertwined_

_(like vines we intertwined)_

_Carelessly growing up and growing old,_

_Life was on our tongues_

_(on our tongues)_

_It tasted heavenly… so good"_

 

They continued singing through the chorus, someone taking over the piano so that Blaine could get up and grab his own microphone, the two belting out the song by  _The Hush Sound_  and opening ears to a mostly unappreciated sound. Kurt took the start of the next verse, his voice ringing through the diner clear and stunning as ever.

 

_"I knew this was a dream_

_It was too good to be true_

_Coincidences, were a bit much too,"_

 

Blaine fell into step beside him then, wiggling his brows as the quick words slipped from his lips.

 

_"Who wants to wake up,_

_Who wants to lose it,_

_Who wants to live in this place?_

_I don't… so I'll be sleepin' in."_

 

Their voices harmonized again, this time marked by cheers from some of the diners and staff. Apparently they were a bit of a hit, which had them both grinning ear to ear.

 

_"I wake up and I feel alone_

_I was just asleep_

_(sleep sleep)_

_Right where I belong_

_Inside this sad sad sad song…"_

 

When they finished, they took a bow together before handing the microphones back to the staff and returning to their table. Carole, Burt, and Finn all clapped and cheered for them, proud and impressed by the performance. Kurt was beaming and Blaine… Well, Blaine was beyond happy to have had the courage to perform like that, and to be accepted by this crowd of strangers.

New York was going to change  _everything_  for him. He'd never felt so optimistic. He'd never been so happy. Blaine had never felt this complete.

* * *

The next day, Kurt and Blaine headed to Parsons while Finn, Burt, and Carole went to a few more schools that Finn might be interested in. Burt had offered to go with Kurt, but he'd insisted that he knew what he was looking for and pretty much had everything figured out, and Finn needed his dad more than he did at the moment, so Burt nodded and went along with his wife and stepson. It was true Finn needed all the help he could get, and Blaine was happy that Kurt was enjoying their time spent together, just the two of them, making their way around the city.

It just felt natural, walking around the streets and campuses with Kurt. Blaine hadn't thought he'd be confident enough to stride in uncharted waters actually holding hands with his boyfriend. But this was New York, not Ohio. This was a place where dreams came true and people took chances. It was a city of dreams and dreamers.

Blaine loved it here, and he could tell by the happy look that had yet to leave Kurt's eyes that he did as well. This was a place for  _them_. These were their people and their shops, their buildings and their potential careers. All around them sprouted different futures, and all they had to do was reach out and take one.

"This is amazing, isn't it?" Blaine muttered, holding Kurt's hand as the looked up at one of the taller buildings near campus. He was stunned by their surroundings and the overall experience so far. It was just… breath-taking. He couldn't help it.

Kurt let out a giddy squeak as he closed his eyes and grinned, grasping Blaine's hand a little tighter. "Yes! Oh my God, Blaine, I love it here!" It was like he had been trying to hold his excitement in when all Blaine wanted him to do was let it out. Share it with him, because Blaine felt the same way. "We can hold hands! We can sing in diners! There are no slushies and no threats of dumpster tosses… there are hardly any stares even. I mean, I know there's still some bashing and hate-crimes and whatnot, but nowhere is perfect. This is just… it's so much better than Lima!"

They couldn't help it anymore and fell into each other's arms, sharing a chaste kiss before giggling together, Blaine resting his head on Kurt's shoulder while Kurt carded through his silky curls. "I'm so happy," Blaine whispered, and Kurt just sighed, eyes closed, letting it all soak in.

It took a few minutes before they were composed enough to enter the main building at Parsons. The school was busy and amazing and Blaine thought Kurt's eyes might pop out of his skull or his heart might stop beating any time now. They made their way to the admissions office in the fashion and design part of the school, and Kurt immediately hit it off with the director of the program.

Sketches were shown, interest was expressed, and Kurt had all the information he needed to get an early application submitted as soon as he was ready. There was a chance that he could get a scholarship if he applied for an internship for the fall. It would be unpaid, as internships generally are, but it would count toward his tuition. He'd only need to pay room and board if he got the internship, at least for the first two years. That was as long as one could hold the intern position, and by then, he would have his foot in the door somewhere thanks to the job.

It all sounded so perfect. Kurt couldn't wait to tell his dad all about it, and Blaine was so excited for his boyfriend. They'd found their places in the city! They'd done it! It was really happening! The only down side to all of it was that they still had another year at McKinley to get through. Blaine hadn't thought he'd ever be ready to go off on his own into his future like this, but now… Now he just wanted it to be time to spread his wings already.

* * *

 

They all meet at a pizza shop near their hotel, sitting at a high table and talking loudly about the successes and failures of the day. Kurt went on and on about Parsons and how perfect it was and how his sketches even went over well, which made Burt beam and mutter 'that's my boy' while wrapping a loving arm about his son.

Blaine told them he was pretty well set on NYU, talking about possible minors and possibilities to go with his music studies. He was a little shocked when Burt gave him a sideways hug and a 'that sounds great, kiddo' while Carole started talking to Kurt about how he could design for one of Blaine's musicals. Blaine didn't exactly thing he'd be writing a whole musical on his own- that was one hell of a dream- but he was touched. These people cared about him. It was so strange and wonderful and perfect and he wouldn't trade this for the world.

It seemed Finn was still having some issues figuring out where he was going to go and what he was going to do. Realistically, he had a while still to think about it. This trip would give the quarterback more options to consider. Luckily, he didn't seem to be letting his ongoing search get him down. In fact, Finn seemed thrilled to discover just how many options were available to him. "I mean, I don't think NYU is really realistic for me, but dude!" he playfully punched Kurt's shoulder, making the countertenor bristle and rub his arm. "There is so much here! This city is like…  _huge_. I could even do stuff that isn't college. Did you know that? And I'd still be in the same place as you and Rachel!"

Kurt rolled his eyes, but at least smiled at his idiotic brother. Blaine found their display heart-warming. It also made him wonder how it would have been with Cooper if they were a little closer in age. He resolved to call his brother after this trip. He'd update Coop on his school ideas and his relationship with Kurt, and he'd see if his brother had any plans to visit his old home state. He missed the guy even if they did argue and fight over the spotlight.

The pizza was delicious and the bonding time was great. Blaine felt more and more comfortable as part of the Hummel-Hudson clan. It was clear everybody else felt the same way about Blaine. The next evening was  _Wicked_  and Finn's dinner thing, so Burt and Carole decided they should tuck in early. If they were going to be touring all day and mingling all night, they would need their rest after all. Kurt still didn't know about their date, just that they had the evening alone. Blaine was practically bouncing with excitement for Kurt's reaction.

"Alright, boys. Get to sleep so we can start things early tomorrow. Kurt, Blaine, are you two coming with us to look at more options with Finn, or did you have other plans?" She was giving them the chance to explore New York together on their own. Blaine's jaw nearly dropped while Kurt grinned in shock at his step-mom.

It was Finn who spoke up, though, tossing a crooked smile at his brother and said brother's boyfriend. "Let them explore, mom. It isn't every day Kurt gets to wander around Broadway and 6th Avenue-"

"Fifth Avenue, Finn," Kurt correctly in a higher pitch than normal, to which Finn shook his head and laughed.

"Right, that. You guys should go shopping or sing somewhere or whatever other things make you super happy and just confuse me. We'll be fine without extra company."

Blaine laughed as Kurt literally leaped at his brother, hugging him hard and squeaking. "You're the best brother ever, Finn. I take back all the mean things I've said about you that you didn't deserve." That only made Blaine laugh more, especially when he saw Finn's confused face. Burt and Carole shared a look and shook their heads, heading to their room for a good night's rest. The boys followed suit once Kurt let Finn breathe again, and they all fell asleep with ease.

* * *

 

Shopping was fun for Blaine, as he got to see his boyfriend flitting about happily from rack to rack, finding some items that he loved then putting them back because they were too expensive. He didn't realize that Blaine had been following behind him, snatching the items and purchasing them when Kurt was distracted. He'd openly bought a couple of bow ties and a pair of yellow pants that made Kurt smile as he hummed 'you are my sunshine'. Those bags were used to hide the other purchases he'd made. Kurt wouldn't be able to return the stuff if he didn't even know about it until they were safely back in Ohio.

Blaine managed to convince Kurt to get lunch from a street vendor after dropping their purchases back at the hotel and making their way to Central Park. The couple ate in the park by a fountain and just enjoyed being together in this perfect place. They spent the afternoon strolling through the park hand-in-hand, then Blaine insisted that they go back to the hotel and dress up for a fancy dinner.

"You don't have to spoil me, Blaine," Kurt commented, a blush on his cheeks. "You're going to create much too high of standards for yourself to live up to in the future, you know." The taller boy giggled then, which made Blaine's heart soar in delight.

Of course, Blaine simply insisted that it was no problem and that he liked living up to high standards, insisting that Kurt put on his custom-lined vest and matching jacket while fastening the bow tie Kurt had made him about his own neck. They were matching, loosely, which made them both a little giddy.

The food was amazing, and Kurt actually  _moaned_  when the decadent French food hit his tongue. "Oh my  _God_ , Blaine this might be better than sex," he muttered, which had Blaine choking into his napkin.

" _Kurt_!" he hissed, clearing his throat and taking a drink of his sparkling water. "You did not just say that. You're going to destroy the small ego that I've developed." He had to hold back a grunt-like noise when Kurt licked his fork in a ridiculously seductive way.

Blue eyes glinted with mischief while Kurt leaned slightly over the table toward Blaine. "Maybe you'll just have to remind me how good that particular activity is then, hmm?" He licked his lips and Blaine was pretty sure he looked as stunned as he felt, only shaking himself out of his thoughts when Kurt giggled at him.

They shared a ridiculously wonderful piece of cheesecake for dessert, feeding each other from their forks and both moaning as the substance melted on their tongues. Blaine wouldn't let Kurt even see the bill when it came, and they were off with the swipe of a card and flourish of Blaine's signature.

"You've been awfully mysterious about this date. Why do I get the feeling I am going to be extremely happy while having to ignore the fact that you keep spoiling me?" The question came with a peck on the cheek as they strolled toward Broadway with arms linked.

Blaine just smiled broadly at his boyfriend, leading him toward their destination and preparing himself to cover his ears for the inevitable squeal. That squeal came as soon as they slowed down, approaching the theatre with the  _Wicked_  marquee. "Oh. My.  _GOD_!" He screamed, jumping up and down and hugging Blaine like he was some sort of magical being or something. Yeah, he knew Kurt would be excited, but he hadn't quite expected tears of joy.

Once he'd calmed his boyfriend down enough for them to enter the lobby, Blaine led the way to their seats, which were  _excellent_  of course, buying a playbill on their way. Kurt was happily reading the facts about the performers they'd see at the show, and Blaine listened to all the information he shared while dreaming about how this could be a normal part of their lives someday. Someday somewhat soon, too!

When they lived in New York… they'd be able to go to Broadway shows and off-Broadway productions and maybe they wouldn't be able to get the best seats since Blaine was pretty sure his dad was cutting him off and he'd only have his trust fund to rely on, but they could _experience_  all of this on a regular basis! Hell, they might be involved in this scene knowing how they were. Blaine could seriously see himself composing pieces for smaller productions some day. It would be incredible, especially if it made Kurt this happy.

Kurt mouthed the words to the entire show, holding Blaine's hand and gripping it tighter at his favorite parts. They went out at the intermission and bought shirts to wear to school when they got back, Kurt even agreeing to wear only one layer beneath the tee and none over it besides his coat. If anything showed Blaine how much his boyfriend appreciated this date, it was the obvious change in his wardrobe just to make room for the shirt.

Somehow Blaine managed to get them into a meet-and-greet with the performers and they got autographs and mingled a bit. The woman who played Glinda even encouraged them in their future endeavors. She told them the stage was open for anyone with enough ambition, then left with a wink that had Blaine wondering what all his future might actually hold.

Everyone was back at the hotel when they returned, so they weren't able to get up to anything as they'd implied back at dinner. It was okay though. Kurt had clung to Blaine, kissing him deeply enough to make him blush when they were just in the lobby of the hotel. The declaration that he had the 'best boyfriend ever' when they got into the hotel room had Blaine smirking while Finn rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Blaine. Now I have you to live up to. Rachel is never going to let me live this down…"

Plans were made for a full Saturday of tourist things, which they'd all do together, then they'd be heading out early Sunday to catch the plane back to Ohio. It seemed unlikely that Kurt and Blaine would get any real alone time again until sometime the next week, though Regionals would be too stressful for them to even try to find time and they didn't have much time in Ohio before then. (Sunday night through Monday night, with school on Monday? That was barely enough time to get out of vacation mode.) Maybe they could justify celebrating together on Wednesday if they won? That was Blaine's official plan as he nodded off dreaming about crystal blue eyes dancing with glee, snuggling into Kurt on their shared bed and feeling more safe and secure on that hotel mattress than he ever did alone in his empty house.


	16. Chapter 16

Blaine spent his time at home on Sunday evening posting the pictures he'd taken on Saturday. The Statue of Liberty, Times Square, street performers, and the Hummel-Hudson family all littered his Facebook. There were a few pictures that Finn had snapped of him and Kurt together, grinning like the fools they'd become while treating the city as their playground.

There was one picture of Kurt using flash photography at the Met, which had garnered a stern warning from a security guard and made Kurt nearly wet himself. Blaine had howled in laughter at that while Carole patted Kurt's back reassuringly, hiding her own grin. He got a picture of that little grin, too.

By the time school started on Monday, everyone had seen the pictures and Rachel was gaping at their matching shirts. "Oh. My. God. Kurt Hummel I hate you so much!" she screeched dramatically, making Kurt roll his eyes. "That's  _our_  show, Kurt! How could you?"

Kurt responded by handing over the signed soundtrack and matching shirt he'd bought her while they were there, which placated her enough to stop glaring daggers at Blaine. "Leave him alone, Rachel. I got you swag and now you can drag Finn to the show once you two are in New York together. He already accepted his fate in that department."

The rest of the day went by in a blur of catching up on what was missed during the New York trip and trying to calm everyone's nerves about the next day. As many times as they all say they're going to win, they all have their doubts. Blaine reasoned that it was only natural for them to be nervous, and that he won't have a nervous breakdown before they even get to Columbus. Kurt was helping Finn console Rachel, who was in full on panic mode over her solo. The jocks didn't even bother to mess with the gleeks, since they were doing themselves enough damage for a change.

* * *

Blaine picked Kurt and Finn up on his way to the school on Tuesday morning, bringing coffee with him as it was only about four o'clock. Car pooling seemed like a good idea when they were just getting to the school so they could get on a bus that would drive them to the city. They had to leave so early so they would get through traffic and still reach the competition with time to rehearse.

Most of the group slept on the bus so that they were properly awake upon arrival. The bus driver got confused and a little lost, however, which meant they weren't as early as they had hoped, and there was rushing around to use their designated stage prep time. They all paced out the stage, then ran through some of the more complicated choreography to make sure they knew where they needed to be on the stage. It was stressful yet exhilarating, and by the end of their stage time, Blaine was just ready to get out there and perform.

Costumes were donned and make up was perfected by Tina with some help from Quinn. Santana inspected everyone's outfits to make sure there were no snags or flaws while Kurt and Rachel went through their scales together. Blaine did a sort of meditative breathing exercise to calm his nerves and strengthen his breath control. Mike and Brittany were working on their dance moves despite Mr. Schue warning them not to overdo it and hurt themselves.

Nervous jitters were obviously flowing. It felt like no time at all before they were being rushed out to the audience to watch their competition, then ushered up on stage themselves to prove their worth.

Rachel started them off, which excited and terrified her. Of course, the performance went just as expected. When she sang, everybody wanted to be part of her girls having all the fun. It was that voice of hers. No matter what she sang it seemed to hold some kind of magic. No one could ever really blame her for being overconfident in that area. She was born to sing.

The group number was full of perfectly-timed dance moves and well-delivered verses that showed off just how harmonized the New Directions were. By the time Blaine took center stage for his solo, he was feeling like they had this in the bag. He knew he was singing, but it all went by in a blur and suddenly the song was over and he was panting and bowing with the rest of the group, only to race back to the audience to finish observing the other competitors.

"Blaine, you did so good! I really think we could win this. I mean, I know we all said we were going to win but you never  _know_  you know? But now I really think I know. I mean, we're going to win this! We really, really are!" Kurt was babbling, but that was okay. Blaine was feeling pretty much the same way. It was like they couldn't be touched by the meat-headed jocks or the homophobes of the world. They were going to win Regionals. Nobody could rain on that parade.

Waiting for the results was the worst. Everybody was tired, their feet hurt, the costumes were growing uncomfortable, and they just wanted to know if they'd done well or bombed. Of course, nobody thought they'd bombed since they all thought they'd done very well, but the judges could have felt differently and that was kind of terrifying. They were silent and sulking until, finally, the call button lit in their green room and they were beckoned to the stage for the presentation ceremony.

It was as if the whole group held one collective breath until finally it was announced. First place. From Lima, Ohio. The New Directions. Blaine screamed and jumped in the air, grabbing onto Kurt and wrapping his arms and legs around the brunette who held him close and took his weight without issue. They hugged so tightly they couldn't breathe, but it didn't matter. They'd just won Regionals. They were going to Nationals. They'd done well.

"You guys, we did it!" Rachel screeched and the all fell in to a large group hug accentuated with elated giggles that made it seem like they were drunk on life, which they kind of were.

Puck screamed "take that, fuckers!" at the other show choirs which had Mr. Schuester yelling at him while trying to apologize to the other groups for the rude behavior. Finn shook his head but fist bumped his best friend. Quinn, Santana, and Brittany were discussing what it was like to have trophies for both cheer and glee, since it was such an odd yet good feeling. Artie was doing wheelies with different people in his lap at any given time.

It was hard to get on the bus and head back to McKinley when all they really wanted to do was either keep celebrating or crawl into bed. Nobody wanted to be on an uncomfortable bus for hours only to have to drive their asses home before collapsing from exhaustion. The high from their win wore off quickly as the miles passed beneath the bus's wheels. The trophy was safely stored in the choir room's display case and they all agreed that they'd celebrate later. Eventually. Whenever. They just wanted to go sleep.

Blaine somehow managed to drop Kurt and Finn off at their house and make it back to his without passing out at the wheel. He didn't even have the energy to pull on pajamas before falling face-first on his bed and slipping into a deep sleep. He and Kurt would celebrate together tomorrow night. Burt agreed to them going to Blaine's house after school as long as Kurt was home by eleven as usual. For that evening, however, it was high time for slumber. They'd done well, they'd won, and they were going to Nationals. Life was good.

* * *

The Regionals win was wonderful for the members of the New Directions. They weren't being picked on nearly as much, as some of the student body actually seemed impressed with them. On top of that fact, Coach Sylvester had threatened bodily harm and expulsion on anyone who slushied one of her Cheerios, and since Kurt and Mercedes had both once been on the squad, she proclaimed they counted as well. The jocks weren't about to attack anyone who was anywhere near a Cheerio- current or former- so they were all enjoying a great reprieve.

It would only last for so long, though, since Sue had her big competition at the end of the week. Still, a full week without dumpsters or slushies was a very nice thing, and when they considered the time spent in New York, Blaine, Kurt, and Finn had been slushie-free for almost two full weeks.

Maybe that was why the following Monday, only a few days before Valentine's Day, the trip into the dumpster took Blaine by such surprise. " _Shit_  that stings…" he muttered, having just flown into an empty metal box and slammed his elbow and hip on the landing.

He grumbled at the laughter that floated back to him as the jocks congratulated each other for the toss and headed for the school. They hadn't caught Kurt, at least, not that Blaine knew where his boyfriend actually was. He hadn't noticed the Navigator in the parking lot before he got snagged by Azimio. He hadn't even thought that maybe Finn had driven the two of them to school until he heard Kurt's high-pitched voice demanding that Puck get his ass over and help Finn retrieve his boyfriend. The fact that he openly referred to Blaine as his boyfriend meant there was nobody else nearby at least, so he didn't have to be too embarrassed.

It was mere moments before Blaine was hauled back over the side of the dumpster, Finn and Puck each taking him under a shoulder and proving their strength, setting him safely on his feet as Kurt stalked up and brushed invisible dirt from his clothing. "Morning, dear," the brunette said softly, satisfied with Blaine's cleanliness and leaning in for a quick peck on the cheek.

"Morning. Thanks, Finn, Puck," He shifted his bag on his shoulder and took up stride with the other three boys, heading for the doors of the school as if nothing had happened. "I don't think I'll ever get used to the dumpster tosses. Everything else, yes. Dumpsters just… just no."

Kurt snorted at that and playfully whacked Puck on his arm. "Noah here used to be the head jock in charge of those dumpster dives you know," he said teasingly while Puck growled. "I can't even count how many times he decided my trash-scented fate. You know, Noah, you should really still be making up for those days… You're lucky I let you off without consequences."

Puck grumbled about the consequences being the use of his first name and his being at Kurt's beck and call 24/7, but Kurt pointedly ignored him. "You have the final copy of our English project, right? Finn has the powerpoint. Don't worry, I took out all of his strange sound-effects and 'artistic details' that would give an epileptic a seizure." The quarterback looked at them with confusion, but no one bothered to explain what epileptic meant.

They dropped their things off at their lockers, gathering what they all needed for the morning and Puck headed off for his first class with a wave. The other three stalked off to English, where they gave a rather good presentation of their project (despite the fact that Finn had managed to edit a lot of his silly sounds and flashing slides back into the powerpoint without Kurt knowing) then wrote notes through their classmates' presentations.

_Thursday we're going to dinner, right?_

Kurt rolled his eyes as he responded to the note, but Blaine liked to solidify his plans!

_Yes, for the tenth time, Blaine, Thursday. Dinner. Breadstix. You're coming home with me and Finn is going out with Rachel and dad and Carole are doing something romantic in Columbus I think he said. Whatever. Valentine's Day and the house to ourselves. I'm a little surprised you want to go to the trouble of going out._

The more he thought about it, the more Blaine considered just making them a fancy meal and staying in. Maybe he'd change his mind… Maybe he'd wait and see how the actual day part of Valentine's Day went first. He might not be in any shape to cook dinner after his planned stunt.

_Yeah, we might have to change the 'out' part of dinner. I didn't really think about how busy they'll be…_

That earned him another eye roll, then he caught a note from Finn which really surprised him.

_dude do you have sheet music for some sappy broadway thing? it would totally shock Rachel if I sang something like that to her on v-day but I can't ask Kurt cause he'll just rag on me for weeks._

Now it was Blaine's turn to roll his eyes, which made Kurt snort, which earned them all a glare from their teacher. Blaine quickly answered Finn, promising to bring him some sheet music tomorrow that he thought would impress the diva that was Rachel Berry. That would give Finn a couple days to practice the piece, so hopefully he wouldn't mess it up.

The rest of the day passed by without incident, and Blaine spent all of Glee trying to decide what song to sing when it was his turn to perform the next day. Obviously he wasn't going to do the big song, since that was saved for Thursday and not just for the Glee club. He had an idea while he listened to Mercedes belt out  _I Will Always Love You_  which wasn't really a love song per say, but Mr. Schue was okay with.

He had a great, fun love song in mind. It was plenty diva and sure to make Kurt grin and tease him. It would be perfect. Since his idea was formed, he was able to properly pay attention when Kurt started singing the familiar Jem song right to him.

 

_"Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time_

_Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you…_

_Maybe I'm amazed at the way you pulled me out of time_

_And hung me on a line,_

_Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you,"_

 

His eyes sparkled when he sang of needing Blaine, which made the tenor blush as his heart beat a little faster.

 

_"Maybe I'm a boy and maybe I'm a lonely boy_

_Who's in the middle of something_

_That he doesn't really understand"_

 

The song was so raw. Blaine had told Kurt before that he loved this particular song because of the soulful quality. The clear emotion in the vocals and the fact that it was actually a deep love song despite the slightly somber tones.

 

_"Maybe I'm a boy and maybe you're the only man_

_Who could ever help me_

_Baby, won't you help me understand"_

 

Blaine felt like they both helped each other find meanings in life. They completed each other. Kurt was the only man for him just as much as he was the only man for Kurt. The next verse made him smile wider, the entire room tuned out as Blaine only had eyes and ears for Kurt.

 

_"Maybe I'm amazed at the way you're with me all the time_

_Maybe I'm afraid of the way I lead you_

_Maybe I'm amazed at the way you help me sing my song_

_Right me when I'm wrong_

_Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you…"_

 

As Kurt finished the song, Blaine stood and pulled him into a warm embrace, kissing him softly as Santana catcalled and Puck whistled until Schue told them to please take their seats and that Kurt's song was very well-sung.

"I'll help you sing every song if you promise to never stop needing me," Blaine whispered, and Kurt smiled, resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. Yeah, there was no way Blaine could compete with that emotional song. Instead, he'd go for entertainment and he'd get just as much of a smile from Kurt as Kurt did from him. This week was a good week.

* * *

 

The next day, after getting a slushie to the face with Kurt and laughing as they threw melting grape-flavored ice at each other in the bathroom, Blaine sang his song in Glee club. Quinn, Santana, and Brittany did his 'shoop shoops' and other backing vocals while he took the lead.

 

_"Does he love me_

_I wanna know_

_How can I tell if he loves me so_

_(Is it in his eyes?)_

_Oh no! You'll be deceived_

_(Is it in his sighs?)_

_Oh no! He'll make believe"_

 

Kurt was laughing as Blaine strutted from Cheerio to Cheerio, answering their questions. It was great. Flirty, fun, and absolutely hilarious.

 

_"If you want to know_

_If he loves you so_

_It's in his kiss_

_(That's where it is!)"_

 

When it came to 'warm embrace,' Blaine went over and rubbed Kurt's biceps as he answered  _"Oh no! That's just his arms"_  which had Kurt playfully smacking away Blaine's hands. The girls each got behind one of the other guys, Rachel and Tina getting into the fun as well, while Blaine grabbed Kurt and pulled him to the front of the room as they sang about hugging and squeezing their men.

The final line was met with a kiss to Kurt's lips, while everybody giggled. Mr. Schuester clapped and laughed and they all had a great time.

Yep. This was the best week ever.


	17. Chapter 17

Thursday morning had Blaine rolling out of bed bright and early. He got a shower, made coffee, styled his curls just how Kurt liked, drank his coffee, shaved, brushed his teeth, put on just the right amount of cologne, then finally got dressed. He wasn't wearing his 'straight' clothes today. He'd been incorporating some of his normal attire, but not usually together. He'd worn bow ties but still normal jeans, or he'd wear a tight pair of cuffed up pants but pair them with an innocent tee. Today, he was going all out. He was presenting the school with the Blaine that the Glee club, especially Kurt, knew.

Tight red jeans hugged his ass, artfully cuffed to show his bare ankles above his boat shoes. He had a white polo tucked into his pants, a black sweater vest over it, and a white bow tie with little scarlet hearts all over it like dalmatian spots. He checked himself in the mirror at least three times, then finally grabbed the small box that held his present for Kurt.

With one more deep breath to steady himself, Blaine headed out the door and toward McKinley high. He just hoped he could avoid any jocks until after his performance. He didn't want his outfit getting ruined before he got to impress Kurt.

The odds seemed to be in his favor, as Blaine made it through the morning without any slushies or dumpsters. He did get shoved really hard into the lockers, which actually left enough of a bruise on his lower back that he winced through his whole next class, but he was too excited to worry about it. Kurt was going to be shocked! The weather had been warm enough that people were venturing out to the quad for lunch now, so he knew there would be a decent crowd to observe his display. He'd probably be a little chilled by the time it was all done, but it was worth it. He wanted this to be as over the top as possible. It was just the right way for Blaine to throw everything out there for the world to see, after all.

* * *

 

Hazel eyes watched as Rachel and Tina dragged Kurt out into the quad, not even having grabbed their lunches yet. The rest of the Glee club was sure to be out there too, but Blaine really only had eyes for the brunette who was laughing and trying to fight the girls off. He still didn't know what was about to happen. That was good. It would be a perfect surprise.

Music filled the area, leaking from speakers that perched on either side of the cement stair/bleacher hybrid. Blaine strode out from behind one of the large pillars with a giant grin on his face, eyes focused solely on Kurt's shocked, but also happy, face.

 

_"You make me feel like I'm losing my virginity_

_The first time every time when you touch me_

_I make you bloom like a flower that you never seen_

_Under the sun we are one buzzing energy"_

 

The Katy Perry song rolled off his lips into the wireless mic that Quinn had actually snatched for him from the Cheerio stash and straight through the speakers with the backing track. Kurt's eyes were huge, so Blaine winked at him as he continued, casually bouncing down the stairs toward the table where his boyfriend perched.

 

_"Let's pollinate to create a family tree_

_This evolution with you comes naturally_

_Some call it science we call it chemistry_

_This is the story of the birds and the bees"_

 

His hips moved as he finally got to the chorus, throwing his arms out and spinning once on his way toward Kurt.

 

_"You give me the hummingbird heartbeat_

_Spread my wings and make me fly_

_The taste of your honey is so sweet_

_When you give me the hummingbird heartbeat, hummingbird heartbeat"_

 

Kurt's lips parted and Blaine licked his own as he came to stand before the countertenor, offering his hand with a coy smile before pulling him up and into a dance, still singing the song.

 

_"I've flown a million miles just to find a magic seed_

_A white flower with the power to bring life to me_

_You're so exotic my whole body fluttering_

_Constantly craving for a taste of your sticky sweet"_

 

There was a certain look in Kurt's eye, and he was pretty sure Santana just fell off a table chuckling, but he was still mid-performance and he wasn't about to fuck this up when it was so important.

 

_"You love me, you love me_

_Never love me not, not, oh no_

_When we hear a perfect harmony_

_You make me sound like, like a symphony"_

 

He finished the song, singing again about honey and hummingbirds and flying. He felt like he could fly. Like his heartbeat was so loud the whole world could hear it, too. What he didn't feel was embarrassed or self-conscious or afraid. At all. He felt happy and free and confident. That might have been why he was confused at Kurt's expression.

Figuring he could get an explanation in a minute, Blaine took the moment to pull Kurt flush against his chest and give him a deep, longing kiss. He poured his love into his lips and nipped at Kurt's bottom lip before battling with his tongue. It wasn't until his boyfriend pulled away that Blaine allowed the questions to bubble out.

"Oh, sweetie, you have  _no idea_  what you just sang about, do you?" At Blaine's insistence that he was singing about how sweet and wonderful his boyfriend is and how much he makes his heart stutter like that of a hummingbird, Kurt rolled his eyes. "Blaine, baby, these are some of the lines you just sang.  _'The taste of your honey is so sweet,' 'constantly craving for a taste of your sticky sweet,'_  the first line was about feeling like a virgin, and then you sang about searching for my 'magic seed,' Blaine. My  _magic seed_. That's a euphemism for come, honey. You just sang a song about how much you live to give me blow jobs."

The look on Blaine's face had to have been priceless at that point. His eyes were comically huge, and he stared at Kurt with his mouth slightly agape. "Oh… oh wow. That song is really not about birds and cuteness, huh? Wow. Um… well, I mean, it's still  _true_  so…" Kurt's gentle laugh and kiss on the lips brought him out of his reverie, and Blaine grinned, only to frown, then look utterly terrified.

The thing about letterman jackets is, they make it easy to be outdoors in most all weather. That being said, it wasn't at all surprising that almost every member of the football team had witnessed that proclamation of gay love, that heavily focused on the implication of oral sex.

Thus, the sudden onslaught of every color slushie Blaine had ever seen shouldn't have come as a surprise. Somehow Kurt managed to get a lot less of the attack than Blaine, but they were still holding each other, so there was no way to avoid both of them being hit.

The shorter boy sputtered and wiped his eyes quickly, peering up at Kurt with an embarrassed blush. "Sorry, Kurt," he muttered, the jocks already stomping off, throwing their cups back at the couple and bitching about 'fags' and 'fuckin queers' as they retreated. Blaine was sorry to hurt his boyfriend in any way, though he hadn't intended to do so. He was not, however, sorry for coming out, or for proudly proclaiming his relationship with Kurt.

"It's okay, Blaine. I… That's the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me," Kurt said softly, blue eyes sparkling and smile never quite fading. Blaine wasn't sure how they were still standing there, as they were both shaking from the cold air and the colder ice and syrup combination that covered them almost head-to-toe. "Thank you. You are very brave."

Blaine's eyes glistened with pride at Kurt's words, and he kissed his boyfriend one more time before the two of them retreated to the locker room for a hot shower and change of clothes. They held hands and bumped hips the whole way down the halls, leaving a myriad of rainbow puddles along the way.

* * *

 

The rest of the day went by in a blur. Kurt promised that he'd salvage Blaine's outfit, as the boy had been very upset about those amazing red pants, and Kurt seemed to personally find the thought of them not making it to be tragic. They ate some granola bars and a box of Valentine's chocolate that Tina had given each member of the New Directions, and that served as their lunch.

By the time they were actually cleaned up, changed, and as fed as they could be, they were already almost five minutes late for chemistry. The two scampered into class holding hands, and the varying reactions were worth the warning about being late. There were people who grinned or gave them thumbs up, then there were people who looked very uncomfortable, then there were the angry people. Those ones got an extra snarky smile from Kurt, much to Blaine's amusement.

He didn't get a chance to give Kurt his present until just before Glee started. They met in the classroom and only a few members were there so far. Blaine moved his chair so he was facing Kurt when the countertenor sat, then he grabbed the little box from his satchel and handed it to Kurt.

"Here. Open this and I'll explain what it is, okay? I wanted to give it to you at lunch, but then there was the stickiness and the cold and I got a little um… distracted." He blushed, remembering how he'd showed Kurt how accurate the lyrics had been about him while they were showering.

Kurt looked at him, shaking his head with a grin. "Oh, Blaine. You just keep setting these ridiculous standards…" He sighed dramatically, looking at the girls who were sitting with them in the choir room. "Your boyfriends are all doomed, just so you know. They'll never live up to the enigma that is Blaine Anderson." With a soft giggle, Kurt finally opened the box, staring at a… ring? With a bow tie on it? And was it made of… were those  _gum wrappers_?

"It's a promise. From me to you. To be yours and take care of you and love you and… and all the things a good boyfriend, a good  _friend_ should do. It's just… you mean a lot to me, Kurt. You made me a bow tie for Christmas, so I made you one for Valentine's Day. I used Juicy Fruit wrappers for the silver part, because you always chew it in chem, even when we're doing labs and get yelled at for gum…" He was blushing and it was ridiculous, but then Kurt said it was adorable and threw himself at Blaine and everything was okay.

The girls all sighed wistfully while the guys, all of whom had arrived by now, glared daggers at Blaine. The standards he reached seemed to have no bounds. They were all screwed, but Kurt was happy, and that was all Blaine cared about. "Today is the best day ever," Kurt whispered, nuzzling Blaine's neck before finally pulling away so that they could all sing and be happy together.

* * *

 

The boys stopped by the store on their way to Kurt's after school. Instead of having some over-the-top fancy dinner, Blaine convinced Kurt that they should make a heart-shaped pizza together, so they got all the supplies for homemade dough and picked their favorite toppings. Blaine even picked out all the ingredients for homemade sauce and Kurt picked out a decadent looking cheesecake for dessert.

Both of them were pretty hungry considering their lack of a real lunch, so they got to cooking as soon as they got inside. It was fun and playful and Blaine thought Kurt was going to murder him when he tossed flour in his face and hair. Fortunately for Blaine, his boyfriend would rather retaliate than physically harm him. Both of them were practically caked in flour by the time the dough was in the fridge to rise, and there was crushed tomato on Blaine's nose.

"I don't think I've ever had this much fun…" Kurt laughed, then leaned over to lick the tomato from Blaine's nose. "You just… you make me relax and let loose somehow. God, Blaine, I love you." The words were just a naturally statement by now. They both felt strongly about each other. They'd both had to grow up a lot faster than teenagers should, so it really didn't seem that odd to be feeling such mature emotions.

Blaine grinned, pulling the finished sauce off the heat and setting it aside, only to pull Kurt close against his hips instead, peppering his face with kisses. "Love you too," he whispered with a smile. "Even if you are covered in flour, which really doesn't' taste good, by the way."

They both giggled then, knowing they'd have to clean up the mess that was Kurt's kitchen after they got the pizza in the oven. Oh well. It was worth the fun. The dough was ready by then, so they started shaping it, creating a perfectly imperfect heart base then adding the sauce, fresh mozzarella, and an array of vegetables along with some prosciutto and feta.

The whole time, they bounced around the kitchen singing and dancing to a myriad of songs, from Spice Girls to Gaga to Katy to Queen. It was insanely fun, and they were both laughing and dancing with a broom and a mop while the timer counted down on the oven.

They ate quickly, which was a combination of hunger and appreciation of the food. By the time the cheesecake was pulled out, Blaine made a face at Kurt and rubbed his belly. "Oh my God, I don't know if I can eat another bite…"

Blue eyes practically popped out of the brunette's head at that, and he scoffed at his boyfriend before sliding a slice in front of him on the table. "There is  _always_  room for cheesecake, Blaine. I'm serious. I do not joke about things like cheesecake." That settled, they ate their dessert before doing up all the dishes, leaving the rest of their evening utterly free, which was exactly hat they both wanted.

* * *

 

"Mmm, today was perfect," Blaine said softly, lying on Kurt's bed and holding the countertenor close to his body. "I wonder if it'll change anything with the jocks. I almost think it'll make it better. I mean, at least now they can't get all weird about how they know I'm hiding my gayness from them so I can like… jump one of them or something." He couldn't help but snort at his own joke.

Kurt just rolled his eyes and kissed his boyfriend to shut him up. "I neither know, nor care how anyone at that school is going to react once your whole revelation really sinks in. I'm just happy that  _you're_  happy. And I'm proud of you, too." He pushed on Blaine's shoulder then, crawling over and straddling the dapper boy. "I'm happy you want everyone to know I'm yours."

Taking a cue from that statement, Blaine pulled Kurt down over him and ran his mouth over the boy's neck and jaw. He used his lips first, then let his teeth trail along the soft skin. He nibbled and sucked from the sensitive point behind Kurt's ear all the way down under his chin and along his pulse-point, finally dipping below Kurt's shirt, which had gotten unbuttoned at some point. Blaine shoved the material aside, leaving a smattering of pink and red marks on the pale boy's skin.

" _Blaine_ ," Kurt groaned, bucking his hips down against his boyfriend's. "We need less clothes. Now. Five fucking  _minutes_  ago. Please. Nudity.  _Now_." His fingers clawed at Blaine's clothes while Blaine worked Kurt's undershirt off before focusing on the button and fly of his pants. Lips pressed together and tongues battled for dominance while grunts and groans sounded, the room filled with the scent and sounds of arousal.

Clothes finally off, thrown about the room in a way that Kurt only allowed when he was overcome with desire, blinded with need, Blaine had flipped them over and hovered over Kurt, hips slotting against his and mouth again exploring every inch of pale flesh. He licked down to peaked nipples, giving a quick bite to each one before trailing his teeth along Kurt's sternum. Silky tongue slid along Kurt's navel, then lips and teeth sucked and bit at a prominent hip bone. "God, you're so fucking sexy," he groaned against Kurt's hips, one hand cupping Kurt's balls while the other slowly worked his length.

With a throaty moan, Kurt reached down and pulled Blaine up his body by silky curls. "Likewise, now get up here and kiss me, boyfriend." His hips jerked up, forcing Blaine's hand away from his balls, but also forcing their hard cocks to rub together in the most delicious way. "Oh, feels so good, mmmm," he muttered, moving his hips in circles while Blaine pushed down against him, rutting with such abandon that they were bound to reach that ultimate climax soon.

Skin rubbed and slapped while breathy moans filled the atmosphere of Kurt's bedroom. It became almost a race to the finish as both boys flew toward their release. Bodies shuddered and lips and teeth collided harshly, whimpers, whines, and ever present moans surrounding them as first Kurt, then Blaine pilled in a combined pool between their abdomens.

"Mmm, I love you," Blaine mumbled sleepily, rolling over and snuggling up to Kurt so as not to crush the boy.

Kurt answered with a kiss on Blaine's head and a deep sigh. "I love you too. Happy first Valentine's Day…"


	18. EPILOGUE

Blaine could hardly believe a whole school year had passed since he re-entered the public school system. A whole nine months of proving himself to himself, and he'd come out alive. He wasn't unscathed, but he was a better person for it all, and he could honestly say he was  _happy_. Truly and utterly and completely happy. Sure, he still had shitty parents and he still got bullied and he still had to worry about normal teenage things like awkward erections thanks to his amazingly hot boyfriend wearing ridiculously tight pants every damn day… but he was  _happy_.

The morning of the last day of his junior year, Blaine strode into the building without fear in his hazel eyes. He was holding hands with Kurt, bumping their hips together every now and then as they walked with the other members of the Glee club. Puck snuck up behind him and ruffled his hair, which made Kurt grumble at him while Blaine just laughed.

Rachel was prattling on about a plan to clench Nationals next year, since they'd done relatively well and come in third this year. Considering McKinley hadn't even placed in the top ten the year before, that was pretty fantastic improvement. Santana and Brittany were throwing in ideas for choreography along with an enthusiastic Mike, while Tina and Artie discussed edgier song ideas. It was all exciting and encouraging and the whole time, no slushies found their way to any of the New Directions members.

Even if there had been a surprise attack, it wouldn't have really bothered them. They were a united group of friends, and they'd done great things that year, and they were destined for greatness the next year if any of them had anything to say about it.

The future was bright for one Blaine Anderson, who no longer hid who he really was. He proudly wore his bow ties and boat shoes. He held his boyfriend's hand and played the piano and stayed in shape using the bag in the locker room. He still watched football with Burt and Finn, but he also watched musicals with Kurt and Rachel. No matter how confusing he might be to some people, he was exactly who he needed to be in order to be true to himself, and that was all that mattered.

Blaine Anderson's wings were  _finally_  unbroken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, subscribing, bookmarking... it really means a lot to me to know that people enjoy what I've written. The second part of this trilogy is going to be posted like this one was- one chapter a day, as it is already fully posted on S&C. It's 18 chapters plus epilogue. After that, the final part will start going up, but it will only be updated twice a week once we're caught up to S&C, and it's set for 44 chapters as of now...
> 
> I hope most of you will stay with me for this journey. It's one of healing, of growing, of self-discovery and of learning how to stretch those healed wings and finally, /finally/ fly.


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